Thinking aloud

Same days....Same nights...

2011-10-24T02:49:00.000-07:00

Life goes on....

Same days, which starts at 1:30 am and ends at 4:30 pm on working days.... :)

Off days are spent loafing around, movies, dates, boozing...

Exchanged the old bike for a new one...laptop is also to be replaced soon...got a friend staying with me for some months...

Not all is the same...but i guess i am too restless yet... :)

Mr.Dee...truth or myth??? forgive me...

2011-03-04T09:55:00.000-08:00

Updating this post from my new room...shifted this evening..always an exhausting and dreaded experience, considering the amount of luggage that i have...

happy that i am sleeping in a new rented home tonight...i really needed a change, i admit..however, i am aware that a mere change of room is not enough...but i wouldn't dare go further..

i never had the tiniest of doubt regarding my professional capabilities...at the same time, I have 0% confidence when it comes to relations and lifelong commitments(other than friendships)...

still, the truth is that i am keeping aloof from all of my friends these days..why?? i don't know...my insecurity.. inborn inferiority... don't know what...

where am i going??? what is my destiny??? don't know...

dear friends....forgive me...

Wonders of life....

2010-07-22T05:00:00.000-07:00

Well...got a title..but what could these be?

Surely, the recurring themes of price rise, hartals, political drama, diplomatic fiascos, Indo-Pak talk circus etc would not qualify to fall under such a title. Nor would the punctuality of powers that be in digging up the smallest of the roads as soon as monsoon is here, KSRTC buses seeking to even more congest the hell ride that we have on the streets of Kochi, the ever rising communal tensions that keep getting swept under the carpets etc could possibly be wonders to cherish.

Is it the daily routine of work, food, sleep (in that order) that makes up the wonder? Or the reality that yours faithful is still a great front line executive? May be the small weekly misdemeanours on off days?

No dear...no surprises here...it is still the old magic that is causing the wonders..the magic of friendship...

While old friends grow sweeter like wine, new ones surprise us with the depth of their affection and care. So cheers to the wonders of life...

2010-04-27T20:02:00.000-07:00

Life has settled in to a routine after coming back here to Kochi. The routine involves 10 hours of work and 8-10 hours of sleep. That is why I have not posted here for a long time. I got some new friends here and I must admit I am enjoying the stint at entry level.

Meanwhile, the calendar tells me I am another year older, which delights me. The journey is as exciting and challenging as always. I get the feeling that the next one year would be crucial as far as my personal life goes. Will Mr.Dee finally decide to get married or will he choose to stay happily unmarried?

A Kozhikode trip is on the chart for the month of June. My dearest friend is getting engaged. Looking forward to meeting my old friends there at Kozhikode, have some fun....

What a budget Sirjee......

2010-02-25T23:56:00.000-08:00

Rahul Gandhi may sleep on the footpath or travel in a bullock cart for all I care. What I need is for the government to provide some solace from the record price rise. The economic report presented in the Parliament by the Government talked about the alarming rise in prices of food items in this country. Yet, Finance Minister of Manmohan Singh government went ahead with increasing the excise tax for petroleum products. This one single proposal will surely heap another hefty burden on the family budget. The government says that financial crisis is over. It may be so for the corporate sector and the rich elite. But who is there to care about the common man in this country?

Too bad that Kalavatis of this nation end up as no more than vote mongering sob stories...

Back to the grind..and loving it...

2010-02-17T07:47:00.000-08:00

Back in my home town, in a BPO and best of all as an executive...

I just love it....New friends, new process, new things to learn and some time to enjoy before I move up the ladder. Of course it is not easy to start off, especially since I like setting such high standards.

It helps that I have developed such a thick skin over the years and can easily do away with my hearing capacity. Where would I be with out the famous Teaurean stubbornness....

Electoral reforms – some dreams...

2010-01-23T06:50:00.000-08:00

I often feel proud that I am a citizen of the world’s largest democracy. The onus of choosing who gets to rule my nation is vested with millions of ordinary Indians like me. But the need for electoral reforms is ignored time and again. Recently the Gujarat Government came up with a legislation that makes it mandatory for every citizen to fulfil the obligation of taking part in the electoral process. Commendable as it is, such legislation would be more meaningful if we are offered the choice of “None of the above” in the electoral machine.

A highly unlikely but equally desirable step is to enable the citizens to remove non-performing representatives from the legislature subject to appropriate regulations. Of course, these are highly unlikely to happen in the Desi version of prajatantra. Still we do have every right to dream.....

Mallus should be worried..

2009-12-25T08:01:00.000-08:00

As days, months and years fly by, we the Mallus, are left stranded on the path to nowhere. The rulers and the public ignored the early warnings which could have prevented most of the major terror attacks that rocked this nation in recent years. Even now, when it is obvious that God’s own Country has fallen prey to Devil’s plans to annihilate India, we fail to take corrective measures. We leave too much to chance and are yet to wake up to the catastrophe that awaits us. The polity that successfully shielded the terror modules continue to reduce the various investigations into a mere farce focused on a highly controversial fundamentalist leader and his family. Everyone knows that the rut runs much deeper, a fact that is the main obstacle in the road to justice and national security.

Another disturbing aspect of Mallu life that is sure to blow up in coming months and years is our love-hate relationship with neighbour Tamil Nadu. Mullaperiyar issue has been dragging for far too long. It is a colossal failure on the part of judiciary as well that the issue is nowhere near a solution. One can only thank the Almighty that the old dam is holding on, though in a precarious position. Today, violence erupted in a border village in Trivandrum over the issue of collecting water for domestic purposes from a pipe that is inside TN territory. Vaiko has threatened to block all goods transport that comes into Kerala from Tamil Nadu if Kerala does not yield to TN stand on Mullaperiyar. That would indeed be a brilliant move, considering that wise Mallus have reduced themselves to a position where we are totally dependent on TN for food supplies. Mallu leaders are simply incapable of bargaining for Kerala’s demands unlike their counterparts from TN and other states.

Where will we be 50 years from now? Mallus should be worried...

Back to home town...

2009-12-17T03:55:00.000-08:00

After an interval of over six years, I am back at my hometown Kochi. Another twist in the tale for me, and as my favourite star Mammootty said in the block buster Big B, “Kochi is not the old one. But, I am still the same old guy.”

The city is trying desperately to expand in all directions and is becoming more metropolitan in the process. While earlier the immigrants were limited to certain pockets and the heart of the city, these days we come across people from outside Kochi and Kerala at almost every small junction in Ernakulam district. The city is showcasing itself as “The most desirable residential address in Kerala”, which I don’t approve of. Still it is obvious that if you are in Kerala, Kochi is the place to be.

The traffic congestion has only gotten worse over the years and continued negligence by the civic authorities has ensured that mosquitoes, civic hygiene and waste disposal are worse than ever. The movie halls continue to test the patience of viewers with two or three power failures each show!! The promised bus stand is still to materialise and the LDF Government has successfully sent the Smart City Project to hibernation. Metro rail and other infrastructural projects that should have been implemented over a decade ago are still being debated, planned, re-planned, scrapped, and implemented?????

Just like me, Kochiites have also retained their skill to get used to any conditions and live on. They still manage to put on a smile where many others would have simply collapsed. Way to go dear Kochi....

Will we ever learn our lessons??

2009-11-06T18:32:00.000-08:00

As voters in three assembly constituencies from Kerala go to the polling booths to elect their new representatives, I can’t but worry about the futility of such an exercise. In spite of being a staunch believer in democracy I must admit that the Indian version of it is certainly giving me more reasons to be sceptical about it. Having said so, I cannot even imagine the plight of citizens in other countries around the globe that don’t even have a semblance of democracy to talk about.

What keeps troubling me time and again is the total apathy and lack of accountability that we see so often in Indian political and administrative system. One could always argue that it is but a reflection of the society at large, but that is beside the point.

An enormous mishap like that of Thekkady could not help us be a little more cautious and Areekkad occurred. Nothing really changed in between, not even the psyche of the common man. We had a series of road accidents some years ago in which the vehicles involved (mostly buses) caught fire. This saw stricter implementation of laws regarding emergency exit doors, only to be forgotten about sometime later. How many buses still have emergency doors that actually work?

The tragedy at Uphaar movie theatre at Delhi caused such uproar across the country. But many of the big buildings across the nations still have fire exits that are redundant and stairways that are wide enough to allow only two or three people to get out at one time.

As star politicians crisscross the country in search of dilapidated mud homes and starving families that could host them for the night and demonstrate their pathetic existence to him, the same old story keeps repeating. What a sad plight for the common man in the world’s largest democracy...

The Law of diminishing credibility..

2009-10-11T21:10:00.000-07:00

In a world that thrives on symbolism and hollow words the danger of tokenism replacing real effort is very much on the rise. The Nobel Peace Prize being given to the US President Obama has sparked off a debate in the contemporary world, and rightly so. Obama rightly recognised the award “as a call to action” rather than as a reward for past accomplishments. Still, I think such prestigious and globally acclaimed awards need to be conferred for past accomplishments and not as a motivational prize.

The absence of a phenomenon known as The Mahatma among the list of awardees speaks volumes about the relevance and logic of Nobel Peace Prize. For, most of the time an award is a decoration for the recipient and only rarely it is the other way around.

Some musings on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti...

2009-10-01T22:31:00.000-07:00

October 2^nd is a day when the nation remembers the Great Mahatma. Year after year various functions are held across the country, speeches are made and the lack of Gandhian values on contemporary world is lamented with strong words.

Like all Indians, I too learned about Gandhiji when I was in school. But I got a better glimpse of the phenomenon called the Mahatma several years later, when I had the opportunity to read his autobiography, ‘My Experiments with Truth’.

At this point of time, Gandhiji’s ideals and teachings are very much relevant. Perhaps the most basic of them all, that of being accountable in public life is the one that needs to be rejuvenated if India and the world at large is to progress. The way I understand it, Bapu’s idea of being accountable is not the mere’ resignation owning moral responsibility’ when something goes wrong (which in itself is so rare these days). It is more about owning up responsibility, taking corrective actions with well laid out targets and time lines and then report the results to the common man.

I must admit this line of thought is more like a prelude to my next post, to be out shortly...

The fiasco in BJP

2009-08-27T22:36:00.000-07:00

The situation that BJP is in at this point of time can only be described as a BIG MESS. But I am not surprised that things came to such a dismal state. Once the party failed to find an alternative to take over as the opposition leader from Advani, it was clear that something will give way sooner or later. But, the Jaswant saga came as a shock. While the way he was expelled leaves a lot to be desired as far as party democracy is concerned, I believe it was high time the party started taking discipline seriously. Remember the days when BJP used to be a ‘party with a difference’. Having said so, the party cannot be seen to have different yardsticks for different people.

No, I am not talking about the old Jinna episode triggered by Advani himself. I am talking about the sudden rush of messiahs and repentant old men from in and around the party. I understand there is a generation of party men who were in line for the top jobs after Vajpayee-Advani era. Now that it is clear that none of them will ever make it to the top post unless the BJP is hell bent upon political suicide, they have chosen to vent their frustrations in the open. In an era where anyone is guaranteed more than a fair share of limelight on national TV, provided they have some sorry tale to say, these guys manage to cause more trouble than is acceptable.

After being in the power and enjoying the perks that come along, these worthy souls don’t think twice about denouncing all that they professed over the decades. What a sorry state for any man to be in!! I just hope the BJP will get its act right and transfer the leadership to the younger generation at the next available opportunity. The country needs a stable and responsible opposition just as it needs a stable government.

The routine of life in mallu land..

2009-08-13T04:59:00.000-07:00

Every year from January to April we witness the government departments flooding the money allocated to them in the annual plan outlay down the drain, with very little to show for it. Especially in the last three months of very financial year, these mandarins manage to spend more than 60% of what the total allocation. Needless to say, this smacks of criminal negligence on the part of officers who are supposed to implement different projects in a time bound manner all through the year. As for the ministers, we know very well they are not really capable of doing much other than making atrocious and often indecent comments at the slightest provocation and wasting public money on decorating the ministerial bungalows. There are some good ministers in the cabinet, but they are the exceptions rather than the rule.

Then from May to August-September, we have the grand spectacle of the Government, so called socio-religious organizations and other managements and the officials playing with the future of our next generation in education arena. The shameless bargaining which made the current defence minister of India A.K.Antony wail about the callousness of the religious institutions in the state is getting more and more brazen. As usual, our ministers and officials manage to look as stupid and idiotic as ever and in the process our children and parents are subjected to the worse possible harassment especially those seeking professional education in the state.

Then we have the yearly floods in our towns and cities, every time the rain pours down. We allow the water to stagnate and spread all kinds of epidemics and more havoc. Come summer and we rue the water scarcity, which was unheard of even in the late 1980s in this state blessed with 44 rivers. Having mined out vast quantities of sand in the most unscientific manner possible, we pay for our greed as the rivers die up and are reduced to nothing more than a barren stretch of rocks and torn earth in the summer. We never care about saving the water that floods our state in the rain. As a result we have the power cuts and famine in summer.

Our roads are in a very pathetic state throughout the year (except for the two months after the nominal maintenance job). In fact our small state is pushing the record books in terms of number of accidents and accidental deaths in a calendar year. The list could go on and on and on...

Nothing changes, including our voting pattern (we keep alternating between the two political fronts – and every time the incumbent manages to antagonize us completely within the first two and a half years of its stint). What hope is there for this beautiful little state of ours?

Whatever happened to the Kerala model?

2009-08-07T06:32:00.000-07:00

The happenings in God’s own country are frustrating to say the least. Life seems to be going around in circles while the rest of the world marches ahead. The frustrating part is that the mistery keeps repeating in at periodic intervals and brings with it a fresh bout of shameful play act from the clueless rulers, officials and the unfortunate common man including myself.

The immediate provocation for such an observation is the fever epidemic that is on the rampage for almost a month in northern parts of Kerala, and especially in Kozhikode. As the doctors keep diagnosing it as pneumonia, chikenguniya, dengue, malaria and all sorts of myriad varieties of fever, the common man has nowhere to turn for help. This has been a recurring incident for the last 4-5 years in Kerala. Each year different parts of the state are devastated by epidemic fever, claiming the lives of hundreds of hapless victims. The health minister and the ministry keeps coming up with fresh statistics and is seen as being totally ineffective in preventing this tragedy from recurring. Whatever happened to the much admired Kerala model which had high standards of public health as one of its main highlights?

This is indeed a familiar pattern for mallus. Wonder why? Wait for my next post....

Kargil Vijay Diwas..

2009-07-25T20:45:00.000-07:00

As the nation salutes our jawans and officers on the 10^th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas, we need to once again take a close look at our own priorities and civic life. From failing to queue up at the polling booths on Election Day to jumping the queue whenever we happen to be in one, we have our own surreptitious and indigenous ways of surviving in this great nation. We are an diverse bunch of citizens with a remarkably short memory and high emotional quotient (that soar to dizzying heights when a cricket match is on television). We have a government which seemed reluctant to join in the celebrations and which just about did what was obligatory and nothing more. We have a media which turns this into another sensationalised drama with the all knowing politicians throwing punches at each other and looking like complete idiots in the process.

Still, somewhere amidst all the chaos, we still manage to preserve the memories and nurture the emotion that keeps the phenomenon called India on the move.Jai Ho!!!

UPA making a mockery of parliament...

2009-07-22T22:47:00.000-07:00

Past week has once again demonstrated how redundant and sidelined the Indian Parliament has become in the Indian administration. Even in UPA’s first term, parliament was repeatedly bypassed in important national issues and we even had a bunch of bills being passed without any discussion under the pretext of non-co-operative opposition. Sadly none among the UPA’s think-tank seems to have ever heard of the concept of inclusive decision making. The victory that gave UPA a second term should have made the government more sensitive and responsible while dealing with vital issues, especially those related to defence and foreign matters. Instead, all that we have is a government that cannot seem to make up its mind on such issues and which keeps taking u-turn arbitrarily every now and then.

Even when the parliament is in session, the government doesn’t deem it necessary or desirable to make use of the opportunity to clarify its stand and thereby keep the nation informed. This time the UPA has to own up its misdeeds as there are no left parties to blame. More importantly, the media cannot keep covering up for a directionless government with a visionless programme. Even in a democracy, wining and election and forming a government is not the ultimate aim. In fact it is just the beginning. Living up to the expectations of the common man and delivering on the vital issues is the real aim and no government can afford to fail on that count twice in a row.

CPI(M)..The great gamble that should never have been..

2009-07-13T03:32:00.000-07:00

The events that compelled CPI(M) to convene extra ordinary PB and CC meetings and the decisions taken by the highest party forums are by now well known. The entire country and especially we Keralites are in a stock taking mode, trying to work out what the latest turn of events means for the future of the party as well as the nation.

The most damning impact of the unfortunate decisions taken by the CPI(M) is the total erosion of faith in the party central leadership, read more precisely as Prakash Karat. We Mallus were looking forward to a pragmatic and constructive approach which sadly didn’t materialise behind the closed doors of AKG Bhavan. By choosing to back the tainted state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, Prakash has chosen to take the ultimate gamble that could prove to be fatal in coming years. Why do I think so?

Well, think of a scenario where Pinarayi Vijayan is convicted by the court. What will happen then? The party will have to either accept its colossal error or it will have to continue drifting more and more away from the general public and its very own supporters. I agree that there is a possibility of Vijayan being let off by the court after proving his innocence. Still, as the party’s all India general secretary, Prakasha Karat should not have put the party on such a tight spot where it’s very honour and moral existence is at the mercy of a court verdict.

Now it is too late for the CPI(M) to change its stance. It will have to face the consequences of a decision which has the potential to become the biggest in the long list of ‘historic blunders’ that are dished out of the CPI(M) head quarters every few years. Once again, I wish to reiterate that I am not a supporter of CPI(M). Still as a citizen of a state being ruled by a CPI(M) led coalition, I feel badly let down by the party and I can only sympathise with the beleaguered cadres of the CPI(M) who are at this very moment holding marches and protests in different parts of Kerala even in this rainy day.

On the lighter side, the protests and violence might end up in a hartal giving us another blissful day of sheer lazy indulgence....

Homosexuals are also human beings...

2009-07-02T21:16:00.000-07:00

2nd July 2009 will always be remembered as a historical day for India. On this day India truly became a democratic and inclusive nation and this was brought about by the Delhi High Court verdict which de-criminalised homosexuality.

The landmark judgement enables millions of Indians (a deliberate choice of word as they are as much a citizen of this country as you and me are) to come out of the closet. It would give them some hope of living the life of their choice, of seeking better education, career and health care, of being a normal human being who does not have to look over his/her shoulder even in his/her most private moments in his/her bedroom. This would also enable the government, NGOs and other concerned authorities to address the high incidence of AIDS and other diseases among the homosexuals. This must be enough of a reason for the society to accept homosexuals as equal human beings.

The Delhi High Court has shown compassion and vision in coming out with such a verdict. Rest of us would do well to imbibe these qualities before sitting in judgement about other people’s bedroom life.

The reaction from various quarters has been along predictable lines, ranging from utter stupidity and intolerance to ecstasy and delight. It is really sad that majority of the so called religious and social organisations and leaders have once again displayed how intolerant and misinformed they really are. How can you claim to be democratic, inclusive, non discriminate and the holiest among these adjectives ‘secular’ when you want to confine a section of the society to mental asylums and jails for no other reason than their sexuality? What use are your scriptures and high moral preaching when you are not even able to comprehend the emotions of an oppressed mind? Are you in the business of religion only to amass wealth, commercialise education and covert people? Did HE not teach you to be tolerant and compassionate, did HE not show the way of universal brother hood? Shame on you..

MJ...Rest in Peace

2009-06-26T20:29:00.000-07:00

On a cold, rainy Friday morning, the television stunned me with the shocking news about Michael Jackson’s demise. The super star who touched the lives of millions around the world with his music and charisma left the stage for hopefully a better one.

While I was a student, my trips from my home at Ernakulam to the college at Malappuram often had a detour at the cultural capital of Kerala, Thrissur. I used to go to Ragam theatre at Thrissur with my friends and watch such hit films like Jurassic Park and World is Not Enough. Ragam had a great DTS sound system and as DTS was still fairly new in Kerala, we enjoyed the films even more. It is in the darkened cinema hall that I fell in love with MJ’s music. In those days Ragam used to play MJ’s tracks before the start of every show and this was enough of an attraction for me. Most memorable among them was the Earth Song which took me to another world just like millions across the globe who listened to it. What a divine experience it was....

Thank you MJ for the everlasting music. I can only wish that he finally finds peace and happiness in his new stage, wherever it is.

Saina makes India proud

2009-06-21T22:19:00.001-07:00

While a billion hearts were broken when Dhoni’s men crashed out of the ICC T20 world cup, Saina Nehwal has made a pioneering achievement by winning the Indonesian Open Badminton Championship. Even as the nation continues to eat, drink and sleep cricket, our sportsmen do excel in other games like Chess, Shooting, Boxing, Badminton, Snooker etc. These brave hearts manage to do so on their own without any significant support from the government, authorities or even from the general public. Sadly, it is only after they win such prestigious events that we take notice of them.

Well done Sina.

T20 World Cup

2009-06-21T22:18:00.001-07:00

Congratulations are on order for the ICC T20 champions Pakistan. This win has come at a crucial time for Pakistani nation as such and I hope the happiness and joy that comes along with this success will last for a long time for them. Sri Lanka has also been a war torn nation for so long. Their cricketers too deserve special praise for the strength and resiliency that they have shown in the most trying times. Perhaps it is poetic justice that the two teams which came in the firing line of the terrorists came together in the finals of the World Championship and entertained the whole world.

Well done neighbours...

Hope the UPA government will get it right.

2009-06-15T22:20:00.000-07:00

With the new government in place at New Delhi, the business of running an administration in the country has again gotten underway in full swing. The union and railway budgets slated to be presented in the parliament next month would give us clear signals of what this government’s programmes and plans are.

I would like to see the government take effective and sustainable measures to bring down the prices of daily items. While the inflation has come down to near zero levels, the prices of food, vegetables and other daily use materials are still very much on the higher side. The prices of some of the materials like the sugar are still rising at an alarming rate. In spite of having high stocks available with the FCI, the common man is not getting the benefit. The Murli Manohar Joshi Committee’s report, cautioning against the FDI and Indian corporate investments in retail sector should be given due consideration.

Unfortunately, the petroleum minister is again harping on increasing the fuel prices. Every time he makes an announcement about impending changes in the price regime, the retailers start hoarding or cutting down on stock intake depending upon the direction in which the changes are expected. And another hike in the fuel prices will trigger fresh round of price rise.

Also, the government must be seen as serious about getting the banks to lower the interest rates. It is unfortunate that even after the Finance Minister and the RBI sending out clear signals, the banks have failed to reduce the interest rates. More worrying is the fact that the banks are still very much reluctant to allocate fresh loans to the customers. Ensuring the availability of funds is vital to get the economy back on track.

The UPA must remember that the fresh mandate is more in favour of a stable polity than an endorsement of its track record. Unlike in the previous government, this time around the Congress cannot blame its allies for all that goes wrong. The UPA must get it right in the upcoming budget.

The BJP’s dilemma..

2009-06-15T22:19:00.000-07:00

The setback that the party and the NDA got in the elections has challenged the BJP to come up with a credible plan of action for the future. Of course, this requires the party to introspect and correct all factors that may have contributed to this humiliating defeat.

The party has to think about the future. In the next five years, it will be facing a resurgent Congress led by a charming Rahul Gandhi. The BJP has to make up its mind on the leadership issue and the ideological issue. While the debate on Hindutva is desirable and even necessary for the Indian polity, the party has to wrest back the initiative from the belligerent media and the political adversaries. More often than not, the BJP is forced on the defensive on the issue. It is about time the party came up with a clear cut definition of Hindutva and set an agenda on the same.

For millions like me, Hindutva is not only about building a Ram temple at Ayodhya or countering the real or perceived attacks made on the Hindu brethren. These are only symbolic gestures at best. What we yearn for is a nation which is proud of its history, which makes use of the rich heritage and knowledge that this history has bestowed upon it and a nation that epitomises the all inclusive Hindu culture. Many of us support the BJP because we believe a rightist party has got a crucial role to play in the Indian political scene. One cannot just wish away the significance of a rightist political party in an essentially conservative society like India. So, the BJP has to get its act right and gear up to play its part effectively. The election results indicate that the voter wants to see a stable government in which the regional parties and the Left would have only a minimal role. The nation wants the Congress and the BJP to be the two stabilising and constructive pillars of Indian politics.

It is natural that a defeat will cause some disharmony in any party. One has to keep in mind that the Congress is under a dynastic rule. As long as there is a member of Nehru dynasty actively involved in the party, they won’t have any leadership struggle. It is another matter whether this feudalistic system is fitting for the largest party in the world’s largest democracy.

In BJP and the Left, there will always be scope for leadership struggle as virtually anyone in these parties could aim for the top post.

I would like a stronger and wiser BJP to emerge from healthy, constructive debate and competition taking place within the party forums. For, the country needs a strong and responsible opposition as much as it needs a stable and sensible government.

Mind your language..the child can read..

2009-06-03T22:19:00.000-07:00

Over the years, public life has seen a drastic decline in terms of standards and practices. The atmosphere has often been contaminated by vicious and repulsive language and sound bites. In today’s era of 24 hour news channels and readership touting news paper, this has become all the more louder and vicious.

In the last two decades Kerala has seen more than its fair share of verbal contamination. The Congress factional feud with ‘the Leader’ on one side and the rest on the other contributed a lot to this. The ascendancy of K.Muraleedharan in the party raised the decibel levels by a few notches. The expulsion of some senior leaders like Gowriamma and M.V.Raghavan made sure that the Communists too contributed, though in a much lesser quantity. Back then, the red brigade was more inclined to action than rhetoric. The 1990s also saw an escalation in exchanges among the literary icons and the socio-cultural elite in the state. The squabbles among noted writers and thinkers often grabbed the limelight from the polity.

In the new millennium, the scene got elevated to a new level. We have become a society that likes to argue, argue and keep arguing. The state has not seen even a single meaningful debate that has contributed to any improvement in the lives of the common man. Almost all spheres of life in mallu land, right from the film field, literature, culture, arts, caste and religion, media, beurocracy, judiciary, administration, law and order, education and of course politics, are immersed in fierce and vicious arguments and struggles. The discourse has increasingly incorporated physical violence and attacks on the homes and family of the involved personalities.

The current LDF leadership has contributed quite a few gems to the art of swearing. We have ministers who specialise in making at least one uncivilised comment a week. Other leaders have also been enthusiastic in conferring even the revered religious leaders and respected personalities with derogatory adjectives. The view that many of the literary and socio-cultural luminaries in the state have become pawns in the hands of the CPI(M) has gained credence over the last five years.

Now, we have the ill-fate to witness the veteran orator and respected teacher Sukumar Azhikode stooping to the level of the rogue-next-street in his public discourses.

I still remember the excitement and awe that I had when I watched the gifted orator in the early 90s at a function in my brother’s school. Though I was too young to grasp the bulk of his discourse, I was struck by the logic and force fullness of his soft, unoffending language.

I am deeply saddened by the change in his tone and vocabulary. In a democracy, meaningful and constructive debate is an absolute necessity and everyone has the right to express their opinion. But, these need to be done in a mutually respectful manner. The lack of respect for everyone while seeking respect for oneself is the bane of Malayali psyche.

As a small child I was impatient when I watched my brother read the newspapers. I often asked him to read the articles loudly so that I could at least listen to it. Often we used to have a good fight when he put on a show by refusing to read aloud.As a result, I became impatient to learn how to read and as soon as I had mastered the art from my kind teachers, a new routine started. This time the fight was about who got the news paper first.

These are common happenings in almost all the Malayali families since we are a society addicted to news papers. I can only feel sorry about the children who would have started reading the news paper in recent times.For all the child would come across is poisonous vocabulary, foul language and non-constructive, self serving and never ending argument.

IPL 2009 – congratulations to the Deccan Chargers

2009-05-26T20:23:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the Deccan Chargers on winning this year’s IPL at South Africa. They have shown the resiliency required to win a big, long tournament like this.

IPL 2009 has been a revelation to the cricket lovers. It proved that classy players will always excel in any format of the game. The performances of the veterans like Anil Kumble, Mathew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist delighted the fans. For me, the notable disappointments were Sourav Ganguly, V.V.S.Laxman, Sachin Tendulkar , Sanath Jayasurya, Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan.

The find of the tournament is Manish Pandey. SO many young players including Pragyan Ojha, Naman Ojha, Ravindra Jadeja and many others demonstrate the bench strength that Indian cricket has. This is a good omen and the BCCI needs to preserve and nurture the budding talents.

Looking forward to the Indian team retaining the T20 World Cup....

2009-05-18T21:14:00.000-07:00

We are living in an era of mindless, brutal blood shedding and violence. Often, the war is for some cause or the other. The dreams, aspirations, ambitions, love, lust, greed, agony, anguish, anger, frustrations all spill out in the form of bullets and swords. Even petty feuds and silly arguments end up in large scale destruction and communal clashes.

We live in an age of heroes who seek to build their empire atop the graveyards. The Osamas, Prabhakarans, myriad forms of Naxalism, extreme Maoism, communal and caste hatred and all forms of oppressive idealisms seek to establish their dominance on the world order. Saner voices like that of the Dalai Lama are drowned in the midst of the loud, fervent war cries. Even devil’s hell would be a better abode than man’s earth.

When I saw the reports of Prabhakaran’s death, I couldn’t but wonder what the moral of his life is. His fight was against the oppression of Tamils by the Sri Lankan government and the Sinhalese community. But, what did he achieve for his people? What did the Tamils gain?

Wasn’t it Prabhakaran’s mistake that he could not make use of the good will and the support that he initially got from world over and especially from India? Perhaps his biggest blunder was the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi. This ill advised move left India totally incapable of interfering on his behalf, no matter what the situation in Lanka became. Rajiv had committed an equally big mistake by signing a pact with the then Sri Lankan President and sending IPKF to the Lanka. But, two mistakes never add up to anything more than a bigger mistake. Prabhakaran never had the courage and vision to lead his men on the path of reconciliation and participatory politics.

The same is true for the Osamas and other pretenders who seek to salvage their tribe from something or the other. The common man’s sufferings are the same whether it is in Lanka, Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine, Somalia, Zimbabwe or in any other place. He is betrayed and oppressed by the same leaders who seek to champion his cause and take him to the Promised Land. The story is the same, only the names change. A mass of oppressed and impoverished junta kept in the shackles by a visionless coward at the helm.

For it takes more courage to face the bullets than to shoot them. As these thoughts raced through my mind, I was struck by a lightning bolt. Suddenly, I found myself awe struck at what had happened in India in the last century, the leader who took us from slavery to freedom.

The Mahatma. I just cannot fathom the enormity of a non-violent movement, that too against the most powerful imperial force that ever existed in the world. Like every Indian, I have also learned about the Mahatma in my history books. I come across references to him at least on his birthday and the day of his martyrdom. I have read his autobiography too. Still, the gory visuals from Lanka splashed across the news channels triggered an unprecedented wave of disbelief and awe in my mind.

I suddenly recalled what the great scientist Albert Einstein said:

“Generations to come will scarcely believe that such a one as this (Gandhi) walked the earth in flesh and blood.”

Indeed, it is difficult to believe such a man existed. May be they should start teaching more about Mahatma in schools and colleges ALL OVER THE WORLD. Preserve whatever Mahatma memorabilia available to perhaps try and convince the future generations. Start a global campaign on non-violence as an effective and most powerful political tool.

Resurrect the Mahatma and bring him back in to our lives. Or else, not many generations would survive to wonder whether he existed or not...

Prabhakaran’s death..a chance to make a fresh start..

2009-05-18T21:11:00.000-07:00

The death of dreaded LTTE chief Prabhakaran is a defining moment in the history of Sri Lanka and in fact that of the entire Tamil World. His death is a defining moment in the history of the small Islan nation. I hope this would bring some semblance of peace and stability to that country.

The onus is on the Sri Lankan government to rehabilitate the Tamils and give them their due status. This is a rare second chance that the government has got to correct the past wrongdoings.

India must also find it easier to intervene in a post-Prabhakaran era. India has the responsibility and duty to make sure that the Tamils and Sinhalese peacefully co-exist in the beautiful Lankan nation.

Election results 2009 review – Kerala

2009-05-17T21:20:00.000-07:00

The results of Lok Sabha Elections 2009 show that Kerala has remained faithful to its record of switching between the two prominent fronts, LDF and UDF. So much so that one can even predict the results of the next Lok Sabha Elections which should be held in 2014 unless the new dispensation at Delhi fails to be a stable one. It would be an exact opposite of the current results.

Why? Because by then we will have a UDF government ruling the state for over two years and would be as fed up with it as we are with the current LDF government. It is the utter disappointment of the neutral voters, those who are not hardcore LDF or UDF supporters, which results in the alternating fortunes for the fronts in successive elections. The net result is that the state and its people suffer from the negligence and lack of will power from its rulers. Even the achievements of the government get sidelined due to various controversies that keep flooding the state.

Another side-effect of this is that each government invariably abandons whatever few successful programs the previous one may have implemented, often to come up with a new one that requires everyone to start from the scratch. This means there is no continuity whatsoever in the developmental front. A good example would be the fate of the Smart City project.

Contrast this with the neighboring state of Tamil Nadu. DMK and AIADMK may not have many things in common, but both are aware of the importance of development politics. The result is evident in this election as there was no anti-incumbency wave against the DMK, even when the power cuts in TN was a major problem.

Apart from the above mentioned factor, the LDF managed to antagonize the voters even more this time around. The factional fight within the CPI(M), arrogance of the state party leadership especially with regard to its relations with its own allies and with various factions like the church, NSS etc and the failure of the party mechanism as a whole in gauging the mood of the voters all proved costly for the left Front. In central and southern parts of Kerala, the church and organizations like NSS have contributed significantly in large victory margins of the UDF.

On the other hand, the BJP has yet again failed to put up a good show except in Kasragode and Kozhikkode. In a state where the presence of an anti LDF or an anti UDF wave is almost a guarantee in any election, the BJP and all other third aspirants like the NCP, BSP etc will always have a difficult time in making their presence felt. Yet, the BJP should strengthen the organization so as to make sure that all its political votes are polled in every election.

Coming back to the LDF, CPI(M)’s decision to align itself with the PDP even at the risk of alienating other LDF constituents was a fatal mistake. In the process, the LDF not only lost the elections, but it also lost the moral high ground as far as communal politics is concerned. Same is the case with fight against corruption. After proclaiming the willingness to fight the Lavlin case both legally and politically, the party has sunk down to unprecedented levels in trying to avoid the prosecution of its state supremo.

The CPI(M) which has always been in the fore-front of anti communal and anti corruption movement made yet another historic blunder by experimenting on these two fundamental issues. In the process, it ended up looking pretty similar to the Congress. Large number of party members and core supporters have voted against the LDF, especially in Northern Kerala. The CPI(M) failed to poll its guaranteed political votes in party citadels like Kannur, Vadakara, Palakkad and Kozhikkkode. This is a clear signal to the party leadership. If the party does not take immediate corrective measures and acknowledges the same in a convincing manner, it is in the danger of losing its relevance in the ideological arena.

Elections 2009 – India

2009-05-15T23:51:00.000-07:00

UPA improves its tally, disappointment for NDA, severe drubbing for the 3^rd front…

The UPA is all set to form the government at the centre for the second time. Disappointing as it is for many like me who would have liked to see Advaniji as the Prime Minister, I still hope the UPA would get its priorities right this time around.

In an earlier post, I had expressed the hope that the Indian polity at the national level would finally come around to a bipartisan system two to three elections from now. I reiterate the same at this juncture.

As for the next government, I strongly suspect there would be a mid-term leadership change if Manmohan Singh stays on as the Prime Minister at initial stage. In spite of being an optimist, I don’t have much hope regarding the performance of a fresh UPA government in key areas like employment generation, inflation control, foreign affairs and anti-terrorist and anti-insurgency drive. I would like the new government to respect the verdict and deliver on the grass roots level.

The coming years would be crucial for the country as it positions itself as the major global player alongside China. In the recent years India has not lived up to its rightful role in international affairs, especially in addressing and influencing the volatile situation in the subcontinent. Here is hoping for a bright future for this great nation…

Elections 2009 – Kerala

2009-05-15T23:50:00.000-07:00

Anti LDF wave wreaks havoc…

1. Ponnani & Kozhikkode - CPI(M)’s Pinarayi group had estranged all other sections in the LDF regarding the candidate selection in Ponnani and Kozhikode. I am delighted at the LDF’s drubbing in these two seats as it deserves the same for its arrogance and total disregard for coalition etiquette. A strong message to the CPI(M) from Left supporters and cadres.

2. Kannur & Vadakara - Two seats which are the citadels of CPI(M) chose to teach a lesson to the party this time around. A strong political message to the CPI(M) from its own cadres and support base.

3. Palakkad & Vadakara - CPI(M) rebels who contested the elections putting up a creditable show in these two CPI(M) strong holds.

4. Thriuvananthapuram - Shashi Tharoor makes his debut in election politics. This manifests the extend of anti-LDF trend across Kerla.

5. BJP – As usual, decrease in the BJP vote share across the state would be cause for much brain storming. K.Surendran did a commendable job and increased the BJP vote share in Kasargod but the performance is dismal in Trivandrum where the state party chief Krishnadas was contesting.

It would be most interesting to see who takes the brunt for this rout, Chief Minister V.S.Achuthanandan or the CPI(M) state general secretary Pinarayi Vijayan. This issue calls for a separate post and would get the same soon…

The political adultery set to reach new lows...

2009-05-12T22:52:00.000-07:00

India has seen myriad forms of horse-trading and political back stabbing in its post 1947 history. From the respected Netha going underground with his precious stack of MLAs, who are kept under house arrest till a deal is struck with interested parties, to the honourable MPs being bought with the help of divine God Men and suitcases laden with cash.

Lok Sabha elections 2009 will also throw up interesting and downright comical moments of political bankruptcy and ideological ambiguity. Yesterday, we had the pleasure of watching a former Chief Minister going to meet the leader of the Grand Old Party in a clandestine fashion. The pictures reminded me of criminals and prostitutes who often hide their faces in front of the camera. I cannot understand why the gentle man had to hide himself in such an amateurish fashion. Even I could have done a better job if I wanted to avoid being identified in front of the camera.

More cynical and disturbing trends are being reported from Rampur where Jaya Prada is finding her very dignity as a woman being at stake. Political affiliations apart, I really feel sorry for her. Like the ultimate symbol of wounded woman hood Droupadi, Jaya Prada is being attacked by her own brethren in the presence of those who are obliged to guard her.

I cannot but wonder what the next one week has in store for us, and more importantly, what impact it will have on the future of this great nation.

Selfish minds, selfish politics...

2009-05-08T04:40:00.000-07:00

This election has been characterised by shameless, opportunistic positions adopted by different players brazenly. The latest among these is the atrocious demand made by Mulayam Singh Yadav regarding post-poll support. He has promised support to any party or group that guarantees the dismissal of Mayavati Government in UP.

This position betrays the total lack of moral and social commitment on the part of a leader who has been one of the major players in the national politics for more than two decades now. Mulayam has been the Chief Minister of UP and also a union minister earlier. One would have expected the leader to have gained some maturity and semblance of accountability after all these years.

It is the bane of Indian polity that egoistic personalities with highly volatile temperament get to control the future of this nation. People like Mulayam, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Mayavati, Mamta Banerjee, Jayalalitha etc have time and again demonstrated their utter disregard for political and moral niceties.

I hope that in due course, elections will iterate the polity and bring about a stable bi-polar system in this country.

Buchanan must be thrown out...

2009-05-07T23:09:00.000-07:00

The IPL season 2 which is underway in South Africa is proving to be a closely fought tournament. With about half the matched over, most of the teams are still with a chance to go into the semi-finals, except for the Kolkata Knight Riders.

I wanted the Knight Riders to stage an impressive show in this edition. But, the stupid four captain theory ensured that the team had quite a few worries even before the tournament started. Just what was the theory all about? In spite of the miserable show by the team, we certainly have not seen any captain other than the pitiable McCullam in the whole tournament so far. I suspect the whole theory was just an excuse to remove Dada from the captaincy. And now John wants more foreign players to be allowed in the team. Really this is ridiculous.

While all the other teams have shown the vision, courage and the skills to bounce back from the most precarious situation, Buchanans’s team has performed well below expectations game after game. A coach has to have the ability to bring out the best in the players available. He has to inspire the team and get their spirits up. Buchanan has failed in both.

Even the Bangalore team is on an upsurge under the captaincy of Kumble after the departure of Pieterson, which has proved to be a blessing in disguise for them.

One can only hope that SRK has the good sense to get a sensible coach as soon as possible. He could also bring in a quality spin bowler and a good all rounder to his team. Otherwise his team will remain the whipping boys of the tournament yet again.

Back to harthal politics

2009-05-06T20:58:00.000-07:00

After the lacklustre performance in the election campaign, the political parties in Kerala are back to what they are best at, politics of harthal. With the LDF government deciding to accept advocate general’s advice against sanctioning the prosecution of CPI(M) Kerala general secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, the opposition parties have called for a twelve hour harthal in the state.

It is notable that the election was hijacked by the single issue of Madani factor. The opposition parties failed miserably to highlight any other political issues in any meaningful fashion. In this sense, Kerala has followed the national trend of debating sensational but non-productive issues in the elections. I strongly feel that the media too has not served its role well so far in elections 2009.

It is these factors that are responsible for the increased number of apolitical citizens in this country. The decrease in voting percentage is a direct result of an uninspired political leadership and a main stream media which is equally out of touch with the common man.

Jai Ho show..

2009-05-03T22:16:00.000-07:00

It was a magical evening for music lovers from different parts of the country who converged at the Corporation Stadium at Kozhikode yesterday for A.R.Rahman’s Jai Ho show. While the event was an unforgettable one for the exuberant crowd, it still had its flaws which somehow dampened the spirits of the capacity crowd. This show had its positives and negatives.

I got inside the stadium with my friends by about 4PM for the show slated to start at 7PM. The scorching sun and the summer heat beat down on us while we were seated in the uppermost tier of the gallery (ticket cost 500Rs). The crowd kept pouring in and by about 6:10PM, the gallery was almost full. As the sun’s ferocity started to subside, the spirits began to soar among the expectant crowd.

This was the first time I had gone for any such programme in a big stadium. When I watched cricket and other programmes from different stadiums around the world on my television, I have always wondered how the atmosphere would be. I found myself immersed in the midst of a noisy crowd chanting Jai Ho and the build up had begun.

Suddenly, the waves started. Mexican waves swept from one side of the gallery to the other, catching us all in its wild beauty. Waves after waves splashed around the capacity crowd chanting Jai Ho. I was happy that I was on the gallery, among the noise, chants and the wave, rather than among the upper class enclosures. As the clock ticked away, we became more vociferous and the Jai Ho chant became all the more vigorous. At last, the programme started at around 7:30PM.

And what a start it was...The orchestra started out with strand from Slum dog Millionaire. We were at the edge of our seats in anticipation. Suddenly, the lights on the stage revolved to bring the maestro on to the stage standing on steps...There he was, Rahman with his trademark smile and shy posture..

I was deafened by the thunderous applause that erupted around the stadium. I joined the chorus and screamed at the top of my voice, JAI HO....Rahman started off with Oh Siaya and we were caught on to his magical music instantly.

Then Sadhana Sargam came on to the stage, and when Hariharan came with his trade mark singing style, he got a warm welcome. The other singer who got total crowd support was our very own Chithra. With these two brilliant singers on stage, the expectations ran even higher. Sadly, they colluded in a duet only once. I felt that the Rahman team missed quality singers who could connect with the crowd. We had a singer(or is he a guitarist?) from UK singing Kabhi Kabhi Aditi from Jane Tu Ya Jane Na.I don’t understand why Rahman had to opt for such a listless singer to ruin such a wonderful song. Sadly, that singer got on the nerves of the crowd and the booing started.

There were too many performances by not so good singers and the orchestra failed to lived up to the promise every now and then. Yes, Shivamani’s absence showed...

Two things that disappointed me the most about the show were:

1: Poor audio system: Really, the audio system was not even average. The orchestra was too loud and except for Hariharan, no other singer could be heard even decently enough over the noisy orchestra.

2: Totally indifferent song selection: Sadly, most of the first half consisted of songs which could be rated as average, by Rahman’s high standards. In fact, throughout the programme, Rahman’s group seemed strangely reluctant to sing Tamil numbers. They even had Chitra rendering the smash hit Kannalane from Bombay in Malayalam (I was waiting for this number right from the time she came on stage). This was a huge let down for the Kozhikodan fans.

Then Rahman came on stage with his harmonium and suddenly we were watching a gazal or shayari mehfil kind of performance. He rendered two excruciatingly slow numbers including Khwaja mere Kwaja. Even I got disappointed with this. We had not gone there to listen to such sleepy numbers.

During the intermission, we had some of the politicians and ministers from Kerala on stage. Many of us could not take any more and some of the crowd actually left at this point. The only highlight during this totally repulsive intermission was Rahman giving away the aid to the AIDS affected children.

By the time Chithra came on stage after the break, the mood among the corwd was very very negative. The show was then rescued by the performer par excellence, Hariharan. He called Rahman on stage and then had the crowd involved in a musical class. Really, Hariharan knows well how to get the crowd going and Rahman owes much to him for rescuing the show.

From here on, there was no looking back. The build up to the climax was exquisite with Rahman belting out his trade mark numbers. This included Mustafa Mustafa, Orvasi Orvasi, Taxi Taxi and Hamma Hamma from Bombay. Even I jumped around in the gallery, the crowd on their feet dancing to the super hit tunes...Did I mention Pappu Can’t Dance? This ultimate dance number drove us wild and the stadium rocked. In fact the crowd joined in on the singing starting with Mustafa and we had a splendid time.

The finale was Jai Ho followed by Vende Mataram, with fireworks lighting up the sky, providing the perfect back drop to the grand finale.

All in all, the show in itself was not up to the expectations. Still we had a pretty good time and I am thankful for the opportunity to see these legends performing right in front of me. I wish Rahman could have been a little bit more judicious in selecting the songs and the singers. Surely, singers like Shankar Mahadevan, Sukhwinder Singh, Unnikrishnan, Sujata, Asha Bhonsle etc could have made all the difference. I just feel that the maestro took too much for granted. This show would have been perfect for an audience in a foreign country, or even to a North Indian crowd. But for us Mallus, who loved Rahman through his smash hit Tamil numbers, the show was just not good enough.

Having said so, will I go for the show if it were to be held at Kozhikode again?

I would say, yes. To watch the legendary composer and his team and to be among the wonderful crowd in the gallery, dancing and singing along in one voice, with one mind..

Jai Ho.....

Rahman is in town...

2009-05-02T20:08:00.000-07:00

It has been a tiresome, but enjoyable week spent travelling across the God’s own Country. And when the journey takes you closer to the loved ones, it is all the more special.

Now I am back at Kozhikode and have the perfect arena to recharge myself. Yes, I am going for A.R.Rahman’s Jao Ho show this evening. For fans like us it is a once in a life time opportunity to see the maestro perform live in our own city. Obviously, I am very much excited about the event.

Watch out for the updates tomorrow...

Smart city and Dumb rulers.....

2009-04-24T20:49:00.000-07:00

The smart city project in Kochi has been on the anvil for more than 17 months now. It is a much anticipated project which could be the much needed boost to Kerala’s bleak business sector. Link to the reprot related to this published by Business Standard:

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/smart-city-stuckland-issue/355804/

Unfortunately, we seem to lack smart rulers and officials who have the vision and more importantly the commitment to see the project implemented in a timely manner. The governments that we elect in Kerala are so good that they manage to antagonise us within the first two years of its term. This is true for every government which has ruled (rather misruled) Kerala in the past 25 years. None of them have managed to get a second term.

But, that cannot be a solace to common man who seeks development, wealth and job generation and peace in ‘God’s own country.’ As I said in an earlier post, the opposition invariably takes things for granted. In the election that concluded last week in Kerala, none of the parties paid any attention to such issues. All that seemed to matter is who supported whom.

It would have been beneficial if it was about whom the people supported and why. Instead, it is about whom did the church support, whom did the Nairs, Ezhavas and other caste support, who was and was not supported by terror suspects like NDF and PDP so on and so forth. The parties were least bothered about the issues that affected the daily life of the citizens and the future generations. Smart city is a classic example of how things got done here in mallu land.

I recall having read the reports about the plans for a metro rail system in my native place of Kochi while I was a student, more than ten years ago. In the mean time, other cities in India successfully implemented the metro tail project. We Keralites are still arguing, surveying, re-surveying and trying hard on how to waste more money and time on a metro rail project without actually implementing it. There are many such projects that have been scuttled by corrupt politician-businessman-official mafia. We even have a multi-crore irrigation project that was under construction for decades. With typical Kerala model efficiency we spent crores of rupees and decades on miles of canals and number of dams. In the end, we had the land which was to be irrigated acquired for an international airport.

The dump and stupid rulers will keep taking us for a ride and we would be happy to oblige, being the donkeys that we are....

The thirsty mallus...

2009-04-16T23:16:00.000-07:00

The nation was anxiously watching the first phase of elections yesterday. We Keralites also had the opportunity to have our say on the future of this nation. But, for us it was also a long holiday from 9^th of April till the 16^th with only two working days in between on 13^th and 15^th. It was festival season.

This has caused lot of hardships to common man. Personally, I got a taste of the same when we ran out of the cooking gas (Spic) on 15^th morning. The gas agency remained closed on 15^th and 16^th. I got the new cylinder delivered just 10 minutes ago. Since I was alone at home, I had food from outside. But the real challenge was the drinking water. There was no way to get the water boiled, and I had to buy the costly mineral water. I do feel that the Election Commission, the political parties and the other concerned authorities should keep in mind such factors while fixing election dates.

While I was thirsty for the drinking water, many of my fellow mallus were thirsty for their daily liquor quota. There was a two day holiday for the liquor shops in the state and when the shops re-opened yesterday evening at 5 P: M, there were long queues at all the outlets, much longer than what we had at our polling booths. Through this long holiday, the state beverages corporation managed to do record business.

The analysis of yesterday’s voting pattern throws up some interesting and disturbing prospects. The comments on the same will follow...

I voted..It feels good...

2009-04-15T22:42:00.000-07:00

I voted in the parliament election today. I really feel good about doing so. Irrespective of whether my chosen candidate wins or not, it is the sense of having expressed my opinion that makes the moment so special and unique. Apart from that there are certain factors which I find to be of great interest.

A polling booth is among the rarest of the government properties where you are not challenged by corrupt and inefficient officials. Here the official cannot ask you to come after one hour, you don’t have to wait for the officials to decide whether they would like to serve you or not, a place where nobody can deny your rights and dignity. It is a place where people actually treat you with respect and eagerness, traits which are so very rare in other government establishments. You don’t have to wait until all sorts of quotas and reservations are doled out, and you are given what is left over. Sadly, there are places where the polling may be rigged or malpractices are rampant. To deny a citizen the right to vote is the worst possible crime in a democracy.

Really, I felt like a true honourable citizen of this great nation when I was in the polling booth. This would certainly be reason enough for me to exercise my franchise at every available opportunity.

The beauty and the beast..

2009-04-09T22:38:00.000-07:00

Indian is in the midst of its biggest festival, the General Elections. Two incidents in the last two days have once again demonstrated the intricacies of the world’s largest democracy .They revealed two entirely different facets of the phenomena called the Indian democracy.

The protests led by the Sikh people against Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar have forced Congress party to deny tickets to them. On one hand, this is a reminder of the power vested in the hands of the common man in a democracy. But the fact that it took such mass protests for the grand old party to rethink its decision demonstrates the sorry state of affairs in this nation. All political parties take people for granted and never seem to learn from their mistakes.

The people have always exerted their will when they get their opportunity. There are many such examples in the history of modern India, including the severe defeat meted out to the all-powerful Indira Gandhi in 1977 elections. We may express apolitical views and may harp on the corruption and disgusting standards of contemporary politics, but we are capable of taking crucial decision inside the polling booth.

The second incident is the irresponsible and totally deplorable statements made by MDMK’s Vaiko with respect to the Sri Lankan Tamil problem. He has the audacity to warn the nation that there will be bloodshed if India does not intervene on behalf of the Tamil people and the LTTE in the Sri Lanka. He is also advocating a separate Tamil nation. I regard these statements as treason and of serious consequences to the nation.

Where are the holy saviours of Indian nationhood and secularism? They had made such a hue and cry about Vaun Gandhi’s statements. Relatively, the response to Vaiko has been muted and far less effective. I must say that our media has got its priorities completely wrong. While the EC has adopted the position that Vaiko’s statements are a law and order problem which is outside its mandate, it is up to the Governments at the centre and TN to take effective action against Vaiko. As for the elite media, I would only say that their standards leave much to be desired.

The beauty lies in the will power of the people and the beast lies in the minds of the soulless leaders. As I had said in an earlier post, I am still happy and fortunate to be la part of this democratic country.

Is shoe mightier than a pen?

2009-04-07T23:25:00.000-07:00

Jarnail Singh’s act of throwing a shoe at the Union Home Minister P.Chidambaram has evoked strong feelings among many of us. It is true that there is a feeling of deep hurt among the Sikh community. Even after 25 years, the community is still waiting for justice. The woefully tedious judicial process in this country often leaves the common man frustrated and helpless. But since Jarnail Singh was attending the press conference in his capacity as a journalist of one of the leading dailies, I think he should have restrained himself.

Such incidents will only help the politicians of this country to impose restrictions on the free media.

Dhoni’s men conquer the Kiwis.......

2009-04-07T20:20:00.000-07:00

The much awaited series win for the Indian cricket team in New Zealand has once again made the nation proud. We would have liked to win the last test match also. Dhoni’s men are well in their way to become the best side in the world. The only weakness is the lack of a consistent 4^th bowler.

There have been numerous delightful performances by the Indians in this series. Dravid, Laxman, Sachin, Sewag, Dhoni, Bhajjie, Zaheer, Ishant have all performed very well. The man of the series, Gautam Gambhir would cherish the memories of this tour for a long time, as would the fans.

I hope the Indian players would play well in the forthcoming IPL. Playing in South Africa would be a good experience for the upcoming players from India.

Time for the Asian countries to forge an alliance??

2009-04-05T20:42:00.000-07:00

The situation in many parts of Asia, especially in the subcontinent, is highly volatile. While India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Srilanka are all under increasing stress to counter the rising tide of extremist and terrorist organizations, the scenario in Afghanistan remains as chaotic as ever. The Non-Alignment Movement has lost its relevance with the end of the cold war and the SAARC has increasingly become more and more outdated in the last two decades.

The carnage in Pakistan is showing no signs of respite. After aiding and abetting terrorists acting against India for more than two decades, Pakistan finds itself at the receiving end. It would be foolish to assume that the forces led by the US will have any greater success in Afghanistan and Pakistan than it had in Iraq, especially since the western powers have never succeeded in winning the trust of the common man in these parts of the world. It is in this scenario that the need to have a military and strategic alliance of the Asian countries becomes evident.

The alliance should have shared resources and could be modelled on the NATO. If Russia, China, India, Japan, Pakistan, Srilanka, Bangladesh and other Asian powers could unite in the fight against terrorism, the results could be much better. India could take the lead in forging such an alliance. We have been waiting for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council for such a long time. On the other hand, in spite of being the driving force behind the formation of NAM and SAARC, India has not made any efforts to keep the these multilateral bodies relevant and effective. Successive governments have been more interested in aligning with the western powers led by the USA. While it is imperative to have the western bloc on our side, I strongly believe the current trends amply demonstrate the need for the Asian countries to take the initiative.

Sooner or later, the US will have to find an excuse to decrease its involvement in Afghanistan and Pakistan. When it does so, it will trigger an even greater disorder as is happening in Iraq now. The presence of a pan Asian alliance, which has the mandate of the common man and the backing of all the interested parties, could make a huge difference.

Stale journalism...

2009-04-04T20:10:00.000-07:00

Yea...It takes a lot for an eternal optimist like me to get disappointed. As a person who is very much interested in the political arena, I have been looking forward to the upcoming general elections with just the same greed and lust as I look forward to parties and feasts on festive occasions (I love good food as well). I feel let down by the media.

What have the media come up with so far?

· The never ending debate (which in India is more of a shout contest) on the ever ambiguous issue of ‘secularism’.

· ----

The blanks are yet to be filled. It is a shame that our media does not have the courage and the vision to focus on anything other than the usual provocative fare. Sadly, this suits the politicians well. In this age of recession and depression, I had looked forward to some meaningful and productive debate on the economic front. The inflation, both positive and negative, could have sparked off a juicy conversation. Issues like unemployment, poverty, falling standards of public health and education, infrastructure or the lack of it etc.

In the era of 24/7 journalism, issues that have shock value and scope for heated, spirited and fruitless arguments are the ones that get highlighted. The current discourse on the news channels are as unproductive as the manifestos of some of our political parties..

The Kozhikode Corportaion love plastics on the road....

2009-03-31T05:48:00.000-07:00

Like in many other Indian cities, many people at Kozhikode have also been throwing their domestic waste including the plastics on the road. I guess the Corporation got fed up with this and decided to dump the plastics on the road themselves. Shocked? Read on....

Kerala is known for its greenery and scenic beauty. I am an ardent lover of its lush green landscapes. But, can you imagine having green roads in your city? We at Kozhikode will have the honour of travelling through green roads soon.

In case you are wondering, a green road does not refer to a road with green surface. It is a road which uses plastic scraps as one of the raw materials. The Kozhikode Corporation has decided to use plastic scraps for the construction of road between the stadium and Puthiyara. This is the first time that a civic body is getting involved in such a process in Kerala. One tonne of plastic scraps are being used in the process for the three and a half metre wide, 700m long road.

The use of plastic scraps would make the road more durable and strong. The work is being done by Uralunkal Labour Contract Co-operative society (ULLC). Last year, ULLC had used the technology for constructing a 1km long road at Vadakara.

This is great news for environment lovers. I guess this could be the solution for the plastic menace.

I would give you an update after riding through the green road as soon as it is ready.

The plight of my neighbour...

2009-03-30T20:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday’s terror attack at Lahore has once again demonstrated the chaos in Pakistan. I feel for the plight of Pakistani people. I wish Pakistan as a nation has the courage and the wisdom to mend its ways while it still can...

2009-03-23T05:17:00.000-07:00

I had posted about the two important incidents that took place in the run up to the elections in Kerala.

http://dvnair.blogspot.com/2009/03/national-media-ignoring-critical-issues.html

The first incident is historic because this is a marked deviation from the policies of the CPI(M). A party which expelled one of its comrades M.V.Raghavan due to his suggestion of having an alliance with the Indian Union Muslim League(IUML) almost two decades ago has clearly taken a u-turn. In doing so, the party has abandoned the line of thought supported by the late E.M.S.Namboothiripad adopted in the 12^th Party Congress. It has also lend credence to the belief that the LDF Government in Kerala is going slow and soft on the anti-terror investigations prompted by the exposure of terror links in the state.

The second incident is also significant because the CPI(M) state leadership acted in total disregard of the interests of the national leadership. This has once again shown Prakash Karat’s central leadership as ineffective and weak. This is also a rare occurrence in a party like the CPI(M).

The ramifications of these incidents will unfold once the elections are over. I am afraid we Keralites will have plenty to worry about once the final act unfolds towards the latter half of current LDF Government’s tenure.

Delhi court creates history...

2009-03-22T20:44:00.000-07:00

A session’s court in Delhi has created history by finishing the trial and giving the verdict on a murder case in just 7 days. This is a laudable achievement, one that needs to be followed by the courts across the nation.

The EC’s 'advise' to the BJP

2009-03-22T20:37:00.000-07:00

The Election Commission has come out with an unprecedented 'advise', asking the BJP not to field Varun Gandhi in this election. It has found Varun guilty of making inflammatory, hate speech and hence the action.

Without going into the debate about Varun Gandhi’s speech, I am of the opinion that the EC should not have given such an 'advise' to the BJP, or to any political party for that matter. It is the prerogative of the party to field whichever candidate it may want to. More importantly, in a democracy it is the prerogative of the people and the people alone to support or reject a particular candidate.

Equally important is the fact that the EC has never shown the courage to stand up to the parties that field candidates with proven criminal background. Even in this election, parties across the board are fielding candidates who would be more at home behind the bars than in the Parliament. These kinds of issues cannot and should not be dealt with arbitrarily.

Having said this, it would be interesting to know how the BJP would respond. I suspect the EC has unwittingly given the BJP an issue that could overshadow the hate speech debate.

The national media ignoring critical issues....

2009-03-21T06:38:00.000-07:00

We Keralites often complain about the step-motherly treatment meted out to our little state by the Central Government. Even when all the twenty MPs from our state were supporting the UPA government, the trend didn’t change. Especially when it comes to the Railways, Kerala has never got even a fair hearing so far. To my dismay, I find that it is not only the government that is ignoring my state. It is the national media as well.

In the era of electronic media, I often feel that the main stream news channels often ignore the significant happenings in the Kerala politics. One has to remember that Kerala has always been a social and political laboratory. From the world’s first democratically elected Communist Government to the successful coalition politics, we have always been the pioneers for others to follow. In this context, the mainstream media has failed to grasp the importance of two happenings in Kerala, this election season.

The dangerous game that the CPI(M)(read as its state general secretary Pinarayi Vjayan) is playing by choosing to accommodate Abdul Nasser Madani’s PDP in the LDF election rallies. Madani is suspected to have links with the terrorist activities which came to light when Muslim youths from Kerala were killed by the Indian Army at Jammu and Kashmir. His followers were also accused of various terror activities including the conspiracy to assassinate the former chief minister E.K.Nayanar.
The overwhelming discontent among the constituents of the CPI(M) led LDF coalition. The RSP, CPI and Janata Dal(secular) have all been frustrated by the high handedness of CPI(M) and have expressed their feeling openly. We even had the best minister of Kerala cabinet, Mathew .T.Thomas of Janata Dal(secular) resigning from the cabinet as a token of protest. The other popular and efficient minister of the cabinet, M.K.Premachandran would have resigned if his party, the RSP had not changed its decision to withdraw from the state cabinet.

These two incidents are ominous, not only for Kerala but for the whole nation. The significance of these occurrences could form the content of another post.

I feel the national media has failed to analyse and understand these incidents. As usual, they are too busy highlighting and debating the deeds and misdeeds of the BJP. I agree that Mr. Varun Gandhi’s remarks are significant, but I don’t think all other issues should be simply ignored, especially since they involve issues which are much more critical to national security and national politics.

Sachin shows the way ....

2009-03-21T04:44:00.000-07:00

Over the years, Sachin Tendulkar has done great service to the nation. He has thrilled us with his legendary cricket exploits and has been a source of inspiration for millions around the world. In the first test against New Zealand at Seddon Park, Sachin once again displayed his awesome talent.

His 160 run innings will be remembered for a long time to come. He has made it all the more special by dedicating the innings to the cause of Tiger conservation. This would definitely be a big boost for the efforts to save the big cat. Sachin’s gesture would bring much needed attention and focus to the necessity to protect India’s national animal. Just like me, millions around the world would be gently, but effectively reminded about the fast dwindling count of the Tigers in this country.

Just yesterday, I posted some thoughts on the political scene in the nation. Sachin’s gesture made me wonder whether any of our political parties or leaders has any action plan on issues such as climate change, the Tiger conservation, ground water conservation, forest conservation etc. I would be surprised if they do come up with any answers. India as a nation and we the people are yet to take these issues seriously.

The politics of fear...

2009-03-19T20:44:00.000-07:00

I am sorry, but I might disappoint you when I tell you that this post is not about the various types of fear that exists in the mind of a common man like you and me. But, this is about the fear that is evident among the political class of this great nation.

I feel the political parties and their leaders are looking scared these days. No, it is not the fear of the fate that awaits them once the votes are counted after the upcoming general elections. Majority of our leaders are smart enough to align themselves with the winning side when the results are out. It is the fear of committing to any kind of ideology that I am thinking about.

I would have expected the Congress and the Communists to come to me with the issue of Nuclear Agreement which caused such a din in the Parliament. The Congress could talk about the projects and plans that the UPA has undertaken in the last five years, the successful completion of which require a Congress led government at the centre.

The opposition parties could have tried to exploit my anger by citing the utter inefficiency of the UPA government in handling issues that directly affected me. Issues like price rise, financial crisis, terrorism, job –loss and unemployment, so on and so forth.

The politicians could try to woo me with realistic plans (not the idiotic 2rs/kg rice and free colour television, enticing as they are!!) for the development of this nation. They could tell me how they propose to increase the self reliance of Indian economy, globalisation notwithstanding.

While I love to dance to the tune of Jai Ho, I would have preferred the grand old party and the rest to tell me what they plan to do to help the slumdwellers of this country. If some of us felt that a foreign director and a foreign production house cashed on the poverty and slime in our country, what do they feel about the party which ruled the country for almost 40 years cashing in on the popularity of the film? A typically hypocritical Congress party trying to rope in the child protagonists to campaign for the party is a sorry sight.

The BJP seems to be in confusion about the ideological positions that they have to take in this election. They are not sure whether to play the Hindutva card or project a more inclusive image, especially since some of the key members of the NDA left the fold.

As for the third front, it cannot even claim to have any ideology or vision other than to play the kingmaker in a hung parliament.

The politics of appeasement has gone to such an extent that the parties are simply not confident of taking a bold stand on any issue for the fear of antagonising a few vote banks. So much so that the first and so far the only debate in the run up to the elections seems to be the one about Varun Gandhi’s speech.

Whatever happened to the good old days of bold and decisive politics where the parties and the leaders were unambiguous and confident about the ideology that they stood for? Surely, we Indians deserve better.

Orphan’s Children.........

2009-03-15T20:20:00.000-07:00

One of the earliest posts in this blog was about an injured dog abandoned by its owner in the streets of Kozhikode. Almost a year later, I come across similar reports almost daily in the news papers. There is a small difference though, this time around it is the old, helpless men and women who are being abandoned in the streets of God’ Own Country. Over the last one week, three such incidents have been reported from different parts of Kerala.

One fine morning, an old couple was found abandoned in the outskirts of Kozhikode. They were found in a roadside with a bed and some baggage. They were dumped at that spot by their kith and kin.

In another incident, the old parents were found outside their own locked home. They were living with their eldest son and family, who left for Bangaluru. While leaving, the son threw out his parents and locked the home. The old couple were found on the car porch of the home with no means of food and proper shelter. This happened in the outskirts of the metro city of Kochi. This couple had three children, all of whom are well educated and well employed.

Two days ago, a woman over 70 years old was found abandoned in the Kozhikode railway station. She was in the station for two days before somebody alerted the civic authorities.

Of course, this is not a new incident. Over the years, we have heard so many similar stories. And I suspect we would be hearing a lot more in the years to come. All the more disturbing is the fact that there have not been many responses to these incidents in the media, from the common man or from the elite political, social and religious think tanks.

The corollary is the story of abandoned children, those who yearn for the love and affection of their parents. The plight of the children of divorced parents is terrible.

I wonder where we are headed as a society. Is wealth generation the ultimate aim? How much wealth can buy you love and happiness? What price could you pay for a peaceful night’s sleep? What position and power can guard you when the tide turns?

For it is only a matter of time before you are called upon to pay for your deeds, not in the cross road between heaven and hell, but here in the world which is the arena of your own deeds and misdeeds.

I think it is time to invent a catchy phrase for the children who abandon their parents. I suggest the one given as the title of this post, Orphan’s Children.........

Attack on Sri Lankan cricket team – terror comes home in Pakistan

2009-03-03T04:25:00.000-08:00

Over the last 25 years, Pakistan has provided safe haven for terrorist organisations that engaged in anti- India activities. In recent years, Pakistan itself has been the target of inhuman and dastardly terror attacks. Today’s attack on the visiting Sri Lankan cricket team is the latest episode in a series of such incidents which include the attack on the Marriot hotel and the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.

The world can no longer ignore the fact that Pakistan has become a failed state. The agreement between the Pakistani government and the Taliban in Swat region is an indication of things to come. It is only a matter of time before the present Pakistani government is de-stabilised completely. The failure of the government to ensure the safety of the visiting team, a team that showed courage and determination to go and play in place of India, is a national shame for the Zardari dispensation. It is a pity that the Pakistani civil society is too weak to challenge the extremist forces.

As India has been demanding all along, unless and until the terror infrastructure in Pakistan, especially in the Pak occupied Kashmir is dismantled there can be no peace and stability in the region.

India is heading to the general elections at a time when three of its neighbours, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have serious security problems. I am thankful that I live in a country which has strong rooted democratic system, albeit with certain flaws.

Rahman, Rasool and Gulzar puts India on the Oscar map...

2009-02-24T18:56:00.000-08:00

It was a spectacular show at the Oscars on Monday. There is no doubt that the Indian trio deserve the Oscar. Slowly, but surely India is making its presence felt in sports and entertainment. Jai ho..................

Wanted: Fraudsters and criminals!!!

2009-02-21T19:43:00.000-08:00

The drum beats are getting louder for the next general elections in India, and so is the search for suitable candidates. As always, one would expect more film stars and cricketers to take the plunge. Still, I am dismayed by the level to which the saviours of Indian masses could plunge to. It seems that being infamous, notorious, corrupt, criminal is a pre-requisite and being a convict is an added qualification.

We are used to the spectacle of bandits and hardcore criminals going on to become MPs and MLAs, and the vice versa. So may I should not be surprised to see the likes of Sanjay Dutt and Mohammad Azharuddeen preaching samaj seva and gandhigiri. After all, more would follow....

AMMA at Kozhikode on Feb 14th and 15th

2009-02-14T19:28:00.000-08:00

We Kozhikodans had the good fortune to have the universal AMMA, Mata Amritanandamayi, among us on the Feb 14^th. I spent the day at the Ashramam at Vellimadukunnu, at the lotus feet of beloved AMMA.

AMMA urged us to re-kindle the flame of universal love and brotherhood and pass on the values to the youth and the children. One of the many stories and anecdotes that AMMA used in her speech is about the change in our own family and home values. During her childhood, houses in her village used to greet the guests with a message that read, “athithi devo bhava”. Later it gave way to “swagatham”, which is still okay. But, what do we see now? Most of the houses have a message that reads, “beware of dogs”. This is reflective of the change in the social, domestic and mental situation in the society. We have created a system where we can no longer welcome a stranger into our home without being sceptical about him/her. We have shut ourselves behind the closed doors, mentally and physically, making our society more and more insecure and intolerant.

Likewise, AMMA talked about many aspects of daily life where each and every individual and family can make a change, resulting in the overall benefit of the society. Hope the peace and solace that one gets in AMMA’s embrace will spill over to the society and the world.....

Magical Murali- The record wicket taker

2009-02-05T05:26:00.000-08:00

The Indian cricket fans are having an incredibly good time with the men in blue doing exceedingly well in the recent past. The ongoing series in Sri Lanka has been a rather one sided affair with India out playing the hosts in every aspects of the game.

Still, I have been awed by the performances of two Sri Lankan players, Sanath Jayasurya and Muthiah Muraleedharan. Jayasurya is the best fielder in the Sri Lankan side in this series so far and his batting is as magnificent as always. And the wily off spinner Murali has overcome all the obstacles and achieved what I view as the equivalent of Sachin’s exploits as a batsman. Right through his long career, Murali has had to prove himself to those lesser mortals who kept coming up with all sorts of ridiculous accusations. In doing so Murali has displayed tremendous character and resolve much like the Maharaja of Kolkata, Saurav Ganguly who was also under the scanner throughout his outstanding career. The players like Jayasurya, Scahin, Saurav and Murali took the gentle man’s game to an altogether different class, with lesser players and teams left far behind.

Cheers to Murali...

26th January 2009

2009-01-25T19:09:00.000-08:00

Another occasion to renew the vows, do away with the prejudices, focus on the dreams and the goals at hand. Let the day inspire us. Happy Republic Day

Kerala – playing with fire

2009-01-25T04:16:00.000-08:00

The Mallu society has always been a very fascinating and unique collage of social trends and attitudes. The much acclaimed ‘Kerala model’ is well documented, though, I feel not enough follow up studies have been published or acknowledged concerning the same. The social scene has changed radically over the last two decades and I feel that the communist parties and especially the CPI(M) reflects the transition most obviously.

From being the epitome of the dreams and aspirations of the poorest in this society, the party has come a long way to being a major stake holder in the commercial and business arena of the state. More alarming is the fast decline in the moral and ethical values of the party. The immediate provocation for voicing such a strong opinion is the stand taken by the party regarding the CBI probe of Lavlin case. The state supremo of CPI(M) being accused of corruption is a shock in itself. Even more disappointing is the ambiguity in the party’s official position regarding the issue. The onus is on the CBI to prove the charges, and Pinarayi Vijayan is to be perceived as innocent until unless pronounced guilty by a court. Still, the party has to show the courage and vision to at least keep the accused away from party responsibilities until the case comes to its logical conclusion. The least one can expect is for the party and its leaders to desist from confronting the CBI and pronouncing the verdict by themselves.

Sadly, the party, until this moment, has chosen to toe a political and public posture which is pretty much identical to the infamous one adopted by the Church in Abhaya case. As an ordinary citizen, I am bewildered at the attempts of the all powerful establishments to discredit the law enforcement agencies of this land. There have been numerous incidents of people arrested by the police being rescued by their political masters using brute force from the lockups and police stations in Kerala.

In the quest to conquer and possess, these organizations are setting a very bad example. Kerala has to get its act together before the social and moral degradation eats away the legacy of the Kerala Model.

Politics of greed....

2009-01-21T21:00:00.000-08:00

Since the time when Indira Gandhi invented various innovative and not-so-pious means to remain the all powerful Godess that she was made out to be, Indian politics has been transformed forever. Over the decades, the politicians have increasingly become more corrupt, more ingenious and more shameless. The politics of aayarams and gayarams have become the order of the day.

The upcoming general election has once again set the stage for jumping the fence and political poaching, Kalyan Singh being the latest in the list. This is not the first time that the erstwhile UP Chief Minister has left the BJP. What makes the event even more bizarre this time around is the fact that the SP and the UPA is willing to accommodate the veteran politician. The SP has given the ticket to Kalyan Singh’s son for the upcoming elections. The fact that Kalyan Singh is the person who supervised the karseva leading to the Babri Masjid demolition, by virtue of being the UP Chief Minister at the time, does not deter the apostles of secularism from forging political ties with the man.

Some months ago, during the Karnataka elections, Maragaret Alwa, a senior Congress leader who is now out of the party, had raised the bogey of dissent against the unfair manner of seat distribution. She was provoked by the denial of candidacy to her son.

On the other hand, we have a the Punjab Chief Minister making history by appointing his son as the deputy Chief Minister of the state. Dynasty politics is nothing new to us. We Indians love to be ruled by the illiterate ‘leaders’ filling in for the actual leader, who is kept out of power due to legal proceedings in civil and criminal cases that usually drags on for decades. We have bestowed the leadership of our grand old party upon the Nehru dynasty. Still, the politicians are becoming increasingly greedy and shameless in their pursuit of absolute power.

The thoughts of an Indian...

2009-01-19T19:58:00.000-08:00

We, in India, are also looking forward to the ascendancy of the new US dispensation with much interest. Notwithstanding the statement made by our Prime Minister, declaring his citizen’s love for President Bush, many in this part of the world have been highly critical and highly disappointed with the outgoing US regime.

We Indians have build up the world’s largest democracy and we know how easily the public could be deceived, we have often pinned our hopes on many a saviour, only to have the facade blown away by the lure of power, power and absolute power. In the name of democracy, we have allowed dynasty politics to rule us for the better part of the independent era. We know the system has in built safe guards against genuine change, still we keep ourselves hopeful.

So it is with mixed emotions that I look forward to the Obama era. I do hope that the future will bring the much needed change in the global political, social and economic scenario. The coming decades will be revolutionary for the world as such. It will see India and China taking the centre stage. The US hegemony is all but over and Obama would do well to keep his feet grounded firmly on realities. He should endeavour to make the US and the world ready for the inevitable.....

The Obama era....

2009-01-19T19:57:00.000-08:00

As the USA prepares for its tryst with destiny, the whole world is watching in anticipation. Barack Obama has kindled much hope among millions and millions of people, not just in the USA, but around the world.

Obama has inherited a huge load of challenges which requires the skills of the highest order. The highly volatile situation in the Gulf region, the Iraq and Afghan debacle, the global warming, the billions of hungry humans who don’t even have one meal a day, the list can go on and on...

To top it all, the US is in recession and has to deal with pressing problems like unemployment and wealth erosion. Hmmm, the world’s most powerful job is certainly not an enviable one. Here is wishing Obama all the very best....

Why do we have to live by the sword?

2009-01-12T20:10:00.000-08:00

The Israeli aggression against Palestine has once again brought to focus the primitive traits that lie beneath the polished and civilized human psyche. The East-Asian politics have often been discussed and dissected, with minimal success in tackling the dominant issues. I am intrigued by the failure of the human community to retain a any control over the warring factions.

As a matter of fact, I am astonished at the total failure of the oil rich, influential Arab countries in guarding their self-interests and influencing the global power balance. The Arabs have had a proud and distinguished history, both in terms of military and civilization. The highly successful Khilafat movement initiated by Mahatma Gandhi, that laid the foundations of purna swaraj, was inspired by the refined, highly sophisticated and innovative democratic system of governance pursued by the Khalifs in the Arab world. How did such a society submit itself to a system which falls far short of any kind of meaningful democracy? Why do the countries that hold the key to the globe’s oil fields fail to ensure some semblance of peace and normalcy on their own neighbourhood?

We Indians are also dealing with numerous challenges, both internal and external, that threaten to undermine the progress and stability that we have always sought to maintain. But, for all the problems that we have had, I feel it is the strong, inclusive and vibrant democracy we guard so religiously that ultimately help us come out on the top.

As for the current turmoil, as much as I feel that the international community has failed to safeguard the basic human rights of a much harassed and defence less community in Palestine, I am sure Israel will keep causing such havoc time and again. Today’s Arab world does not have the will power and the inherent strength needed to stand up for itself. One can just hope that the massacre of the innocent people would come to an end soon. The pictures of little children robbed of their innocence and life is too much to bear for any sane person.....

A.R.Rahman ..... the ultimate delight

2009-01-11T21:16:00.000-08:00

A.R.Rahman has been enthralling the Indian music lovers with his musical delights for well over a decade now. What started as a sublime melody in Roja has, over the years, attained divine status among the music lovers. The variety of his musical exploits is a legend in itself. Now, by winning the Golden Globe award for his work in Slumdog Millionaire, Rahman has taken Indian popular music to unprecedented heights.

Different Indian musical streams like the Carnatic music, Indian Ghazals, Bhajans and various Gharanas have always been looked upon by the world with awe and respect. But, the popular Indian film music has never before captured the imagination of the world.

Rahman has done us all very, very proud and the delight of his music is the icing on the cake. Here is wishing him all the very best, thanking him for keeping millions like myself musically enslaved to his charm. Let us hope that he would bring home the Oscars as well....

The suffering masses...

2009-01-08T19:37:00.000-08:00

Indian democracy has always been a consortium of ironies. On one hand the masses have made use of the ultimate power to assert their will over the politicians ranging from the all powerful Indira Gandhi to the Jharkhand shame Shibu Soren. The irony is that, for all practical purposes, the power of the masses ends there. Time and again the governments have blatantly disregarded its basic duties and responsibilities towards the nation, and have got away with it.

The latest example is the way the present dispensation is dealing with the strikes of the Truck Owners and the Oil strike. The government has every right not to yield to the demands of the striking parties if it feels the same are unjustified. But at the same time, the government has the responsibility and duty to endure that the day to day life of the common man is not affected. Today the petrol pumps across of the country are running out of stocks and we the people have to suffer the consequences. The prices of essential commodities are slowly climbing up on account of the trucker’s strike.

As was said by the public after the Mumbai attacks, we do not have any option other than to stick to the routine, report for work and earn our lively hood in the midst of terror attacks, strikes or bandhs and harthals. As always, we have to pay for the inefficient and insensitive government that we have elected.

The Satyam debacle...

2009-01-07T20:02:00.000-08:00

The confessions by Mr.Ramalinga Raju, the founder of Satyam has come as a rude reminder to the public about the total lack of ethics and accountability among the rich elite of this nation. Be it a politician, a business man, a celebrity or an ingenious criminal, if you have money, you will always have immunity from law of the land. I wonder why Raju has not been arrested even after his confessions. Regarding the fraud itself, what were the auditors doing? The magnitude of the fraud raises serious concerns about the kind of system we have to scrutinise and verify the accounts statements furnished by the business houses. If even one among the several so called professionals did their job well, a fraud of this magnitude would not have happened.

The fact that the fraud has been going on for several years shows the complete lack of accountability towards the general public who may have invested a major chunk of their life’s savings in the stock markets.

The more the things change, the more they remain the same...

2009-01-03T05:51:00.000-08:00

1^st Jan 08 : Bomb blasts at 3 different places in Assam. Hartal called by the CPI(M) in parts of Kannur district, Kerala. Violence and political killing continues.

No matter what the common man in this country wants, things seldom change to reflect their aspirations.....

Soorya Festival at Kozhikode...

2008-12-31T00:27:00.000-08:00

Soorya festival, the famous art and cultural event was held in Kozhikode for the first time from 26^th to 30^th December 2008. My pre-occupations kept me away from the even at the Tagore hall until the final day. The classical music concert by the famous music director Sarath was the main event yesterday. The opening item was a short drama by the students of Sanskrit University –Kalady. It was a comedy drama consisting of two characters. The actors gave a brilliant performance and succeeded in reaching out to the audience. There was an exhibition of paintings by budding artists from the Mural painting institute at Guruvayur and some local painters. I was especially enchanted by the Mural paintings of Radha-Krishna and the Mirabai.

The concert itself was a sumptuous treat. This was the first time that I had attended a classical music concert. I was spell bound by the performance of the now-familiar, highly talented disciple of the maestro Balamurali Krishna. Sarath sir, as he is fondly called by his fans, had the audience spell bound by his rendition of the famous carnatic numbers like Vathapi and Nagumo. Apart from the pure classical songs, he also came up with such famous all-time hits like Mamankam, much to the delight of the crowd. I must admit I was totally mesmerised by the music. Truly a memorable evening for me and I suspect I might start going to carnatic concerts more often henceforth.

The prodigal brother...

2008-12-24T02:55:00.000-08:00

The Mumbai terror attacks have been a wake up call for India in many ways. India has finally realised that it can no longer afford to shy away from encountering the menace of cross border terrorism.

Partition was the biggest mistake ever made by the erstwhile British colonialist regime, one that should have been resisted by the then political leadership dominated by the Indian National Congress. To be fair, there were many voices against the partition including that of the Mahatma himself. But, the majority of the leaders were unable to muster enough courage and will power to resist and defeat the last ditch effort of the Colonial regime to exploit the inherent diversity of the Indian nationhood. Many historians maintain that a prolonged freedom struggle may be for another ten or twenty years would have ensured a free, truly secular, unified sovereign republic of India. This would have saved India and the world from majority of the terrorist threats that exist today.

The prodigal brother has been bleeding India for decades. Majority of the international community, especially the US and other western powers, chose to ignore the phenomenon until the 9/11 catastrophe. India should have learned its lessons from the pre-9/11 scenario. It is our prerogative to ensure our own safety. In the process, we have to force Pakistan to destroy the terror-factories operating from its soil. Pakistan will a tough time dealing with the extremist forces including the Taliban. In such a scenario, one could be fairly assured that the Pakistani army will topple the democratic government and will try to stand up to the ‘Hindu threat.’ This is when the US and other western powers will find the script unpalatable to them. They would prefer a Pakistan which is a base for their operations in Afghanistan. They would not want the Pakistani dispensation to be drawn away from the Afghan front by the Indian challenge. India must realise that this is the crux of the challenge that we have to overcome in our very own war against terror. India should draw the line here and must let the whole world know that the security of its people and assets are paramount to it. If in the process the US finds itself in a tough situation then, so be it. India must start getting its priorities right. US can flex its muscle and withdraw the economic and military aids given to Pakistan. The international community can impose enough restrictions on the Pakistani trade to make Islamabad fall in line. If and when India and the world adopt such a position, the prodigal brother will have no option but to fall in line.

The inflation figures....retail prices still on the higher side...

2008-12-20T20:04:00.000-08:00

The weekly figures say the inflation is down. But is the common man getting the benefits? Even yesterday when I went to the vegetable shop, I found the prices still on the higher side. I did not buy tomatoes because of the high prices. The groceries are also being sold at high prices across the retail stores. The only direct impact that I feel is the slashed prices of petrol. May be I should keep my fingers crossed for some more days for the prices to come down.

Politics at its worst.....

2008-12-20T20:00:00.000-08:00

The remarks made by Union Minister Antulay has once again betrayed the ugly face of senseless politics played by the meanest of the bunch. Without going into the finer points of the comments made by the Minister, what disturbs me the most is the time, place and the manner in which the comments have been made. Mr. Antulay must have had the minimum common sense to remember that he is a Union Minister. The position he is in brings affords him much better forum than the media microphones to voice his genuine concerns. I assume that he has many mechanisms and official channels at his disposal to discharge his duties efficiently. By making such an irresponsible public statement, he has exposed himself as totally incapable of comprehending the responsibilities that have been entrusted upon him.

At a time when the nation, most of all the common man, has restrained from indulging in divisive politics, the Minister has indeed let down himself and the state.

The right to fair trial...

2008-12-17T04:12:00.000-08:00

There has been a debate about whether Ajmal Kasab, the terrorist captured in Mumbai, deserves the right to defend himself in a court of law. Questions have been raised about the ethics of lawyers who are willing to offer their services to Kasab. It is a fact that the whole world saw the pictures of Kasab committing heinous crimes against humanity. I don’t think there is any point spending millions of rupees on prosecuting this terrorist. It would be a criminal wastage of time and energy of all those who are involved in the criminal prosecution process.

But, India is a democracy and we do have certain obligations to ourselves when it comes to human rights. We cannot afford to lay down a wrong precedence by not allowing Kasab the opportunity to defend himself, though I certainly cannot imagine what any lawyer can do or say to defend such a convict. The problem is that the country’s system is so slow and tedious when it comes to convicting the hard core criminals. We certainly would hate to see Kasab being let loose after another Kandahar like situation.And the legal aid must not come from any political parties, NGOs or other institutions. It is a technical legal process and must remain so.

Anyway, I think we should let Kasab defend himself and keep our fingers crossed. This could be the ultimate trial for the country’s judicial system.

The negative industrial growth.......

2008-12-12T20:35:00.000-08:00

The country’s industrial growth for the month of October 2008 has dipped alarmingly to -0.4%. The figure for the month of November 2008 is also expected to be as dismal as that of October. Much has been said about the global economic crisis and its repercussion in India. But the Prime Minister and the former Finance Minister Mr.P.Chidambaram have always been in self-denial mode. They kept saying that the Indian economy is somehow immune to the global trends to a large extend.

The RBI also was focusing almost entirely on containing the inflation. Lot of liquidity has been flushed out of the system. Now, the inflation figures have started coming down, but the prices of food and vegetables continue to be on the higher side.

While taking part in the parliamentary debate in the wake of the Mumbai terror attack, Mr.P.Chidambaram made a candid admission that our government system is such that at crisis times instead of making decisions, we often gets caught up in indecision. The statement may well apply to the government’s handling of the economic crisis as well.

United we stand....

2008-12-11T19:17:00.000-08:00

Yesterday’s debate in the Indian Parliament regarding the recent terror attacks was reassuring for the common man. After a long time, we got to see our leaders participation in a meaningful, constructive and thoughtful debate.

Even some leaders who were known to be of poor oratory skills made stirring and effective speeches. What enabled them to come out with such memorable performance is that, this time around all of them were speaking from their heart. The passion, emotion and the anger made the speakers rise above the average. The spirit of unity displayed in the Parliament amply demonstrates an angry but mature India.

The dysfunctional government in Kerala..yet again....

2008-12-10T21:43:00.001-08:00

The LDF government in Kerala, led by V.S.Achuthananthan has been reeling under the pressure of factional feud, both within the CPI(M) and among the allies that constitute the LDF. We are well acquainted with the bitter factional feuds and the resulting paralysis of the government machinery under the Congress led UDF regimes. But the LDF always made sure that their governments were not affected by the factional feud which within the CPI(M). In retrospect, I believe the presence of such eminent luminaries like E.M.S and Nayanar had enabled the LDF governments to function without such blatant disregard for the principle of collective responsibility.

It is another matter that even these governments were ineffective in capturing the imagination of the people by implementing long-term projects and charting out a clear road map for the state. In fact as the people kept getting disillusioned by the ruling coalition, they kept changing the government every five years. This made the two coalitions even more laid back and dysfunctional.

Kerala has always been a pioneer in the socio-political arena, many practices in the state later being emulated in the national level. It is about time the people in Kerala came up with a new, effective tactic to make the government function.

The assembly poll results...

2008-12-10T21:39:00.000-08:00

The results of the recent polls held in five states have been on the expected lines, save the Shiela magic in Delhi. It is heartening to see that in Delhi, Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh people have acknowledged good governance. In Rajasthan, the infighting cost the BJP dearly, in spite of the reasonably good job done by Vasundhra Raje.

I hope that people will utilise the power of ballots wisely and decisively in the general elections coming up in the next few months. One can only hope that there will not be a hung parliament which will give rise to all sorts of post-poll alliances, horse trading and corruption. At this crucial juncture, that would be a disaster for the nation.

A wake up call for the citizens as well...

2008-12-03T19:33:00.000-08:00

The Mumbai terror attacks continue to dominate the national imagination, rightly so. It has been quite some time since the common man has expressed himself in such a transparent, forceful and united manner. India is so diverse a nation that there cricket and bollywood may well be the only common factors among two different parts of the country. All other factors of life varies from place to place and I do feel it is this diversity that makes India such an enigmatic and vibrant nation.

Still, it is about time we the people realized our own responsibilities and duties. We should stop jumping the queue at every available opportunity, stop attempting to bribe our way through the systems of this country. Stop placing ‘myself and my family above everything else’ in an attempt to outdo one’s neighbours, colleagues, friends and the entire society in pursuit of material success. It is time for us to go back to the principles, knowledge and the science which is the basis of India, the great nation.

We do have so much to offer to this world and to ourselves. But sadly we have misplaced our priorities. We have become selfish, callous and self-centred. We have become cowards and shy away from facing the hardships of modern life. We don’t want to question our callous politicians, we don’t have the guts to stand up to the local goondas and thugs, we don’t have the courage to question the system of bribery and we are too scared to live life on our own terms......

Now is the time, the time to change ourselves.

Akram has a great suggestion............

2008-12-01T20:18:00.000-08:00

Wasim Akram has suggested that India and Pakistan should play a cricket test match at Mumbai to express solidarity. Though cricket is not on anybody’s mind at present, I do think Akram has come up with an interesting suggestion.

It is true that Pakistan is at the centre of the anti-India activities. But, unlike at the time of the Kargil war, this time around I do believe the Pakistani government or the Army does not have a direct role in the terror attacks. In fact, I think the Pakistani establishment has lost control over the terrorist groups operating in that country. The ISI could still be involved in the anti-India activities, but the onus is on the Indian government to come out with concrete evidence of the same. Mere allegations would not suffice, though most of us in India are convinced about the truthfulness of the same.

Meanwhile India has to move forward. It has to regain credibility in the international community as a place safe enough to live, do business and to visit. As always, sports could be the answer. If India and Pakistan manage to come together and play a cricket match in Mumbai, it would be a stupendous achievement.

It is true that the wounds are still too fresh to heal, too raw to be touched. Still we owe it to ourselves to keep working towards a safer India, a safer sub-continent and a safer world.

The Indian response........

2008-12-01T04:34:00.000-08:00

The Indian government’s response to the recent terror attacks in Mumbai falls well short of expectations. I understand that each time something like this happens India cannot be seen to be placing a finger on the dreaded button, threatening to blow up Pakistan and destroying the sub-continent in the process.

Still, I want my government to confront Pakistan with all the evidence that we have, and pressurize them to take stern action against the use of their territory for anti-Indian activities. I want my government to do the same with all other nations that are the base for anti-Indian activities, including Bangladesh.

I want India to secure the extradition of all wanted criminals including Dawood Ibrahim by any means required.

I want punishment of the convicted terrorists who are enjoying their stay in various jails, the expense for which is paid by the common Indian, to be carried out immediately.

I want my government to deport the illegal migrants from Bangladesh and secure our borders against all kinds of infiltration.

I want the government to come up with a time-bound mechanism to dispose of all the pending cases related to terrorism. We cannot afford to have these sensitive cases to drag on endlessly.

I want the intelligence agencies of this country to be made accountable at some level, either to the legislature or to the judiciary.

There are so many factors that need to be looked into, so many loose ends to be tied up. The task is difficult but not impossible for a government which has the will power, the right persons at the right posts and above all the dedication and the commitment towards the people they are supposed to serve.

At last, the heads start rolling.............

2008-12-01T04:20:00.000-08:00

It is good that at last the Home Minister has obliged us. The Maharsahtra Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister are also on their way out. These two insensitive, petty politicians have displayed an amazing ability to antagonize the already angry citizens of the country. All the three had to be asked for their resignations covertly and overtly by their respective ‘high commands’, demonstrating the total lack of conscience and morality among a large section of our politician.

The process of getting some ministers or officials replaced is not a solution in itself. Still, it does send out a signal that after all, people’s wrath has some value in the Indian democracy.

The nation would be grateful to you if you would resign Mr. Home Minister.

2008-11-28T23:05:00.000-08:00

Dont misunderstand me. I am not celebrating the horror that occurred. As I told, I am ANGRY.

This is the MOST INEFFICIENT and LETHARGIC government that India has had in the last two decades. I know this is a delicate time. But that should not stop anybody from talking about the failure of the entire system funded by the tax money of ordinary citizens like me. For a change, we are not talking politics here. We are talking about the concepts of efficiency, honesty, dedication and the true spirit of a public servant. Obviously these are the virtues long forgotten and alien to most of our politicians.

Dear handsome, fashion savvy Home Minister, as an ordinary citizen unfortunate to be living in the era of your Minister ship(or should I say fortunate to be still alive thinking aloud), I beg you, beseech you, implore you to pleaaaaaaaaaaassssssseee RESIGN. Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

I admit I had the audacity to demand your resignation in one of my earlier posts. I apologise for the same.

Mujhe maaf kar dijiye. Is bar mein apse nivedan kar raha hoon...Apko apne rangeen suits ki kasam, apko meri umar lag jaye.....plssssssssssssssssssss relieve us of your services.

I can’t bear it anymore....

2008-11-28T22:46:00.000-08:00

This time around it has been different. We watched in horror as the terror came home to the supposedly well protected, iconic heart of the country’s financial capital. It has to be noted that till now, most of the terror activities in India targeted easily accessible places frequented by the common man (read as financially poor, lower class, middle class citizens). But this time around the target appears to be the elite class and perhaps for the very first time, the foreign citizens on Indian soil. Not surprisingly, many delicate feathers have been ruffled.

I may be sounding sarcastic here, but I can’t help it. Like crores of my brothers and sisters, frustration has been building up with in me. I felt as if I am guilty of not having bank balance worth crores, not living in the most exclusive of the apartments, not travelling in Benz or BMW, in short not being worthy enough to be protected by the elitist of them all, the Indian Government. This is exactly why I am ANGRY.

The routine of getting ourselves blasted...the new way of life for modern Indians

2008-11-28T22:38:00.000-08:00

Over the last 7-8 years, India has been repeatedly targeted by the terrorists, both from within and outside the country. After each bloody incident, we have DELIBERATELY forgotten about the same. We patted ourselves on being resilient, brave and courageous and God knows what other cliches that we could invent. Of course, we raised a big hue and cry blaming the government, the police, the intelligence agencies, the religious hate mongers, the omnipresent ISI and the rogue sibling – turned rogue neighbour Pakistan. We blamed each other, we suspected each other and we fought each other.

Some of us took it upon ourselves to exact revenge, thus causing more havoc. We blamed our politicians and once the list of those who could be blamed was exhausted, we went about the routine of being in the middle of blast torn cities wondering where the terror would strike next.

We are the brave, resilient Indian, fancying ourselves as the saviours for the whole world, especially since the American domination of the world affairs is already shattered.

I am angry............

2008-11-28T22:34:00.000-08:00

What has unfolded over the last 60 hours is too well known to be reiterated. The images, the sound bites, the deafening thunder bolts, the eerie silence have all left an indelible mark on the minds and souls of millions. So, what do I feel? I am sad, worried, afraid and above all angry as in A-N-G-R-Y.

Terror strikes again and again and again and again.........

2008-11-27T01:26:00.000-08:00

The terror strikes, this time at no less than ten places in Mumbai, evokes a collage of emotions. This time around, we have the ghastly images being played out live in the television. My heart goes out to the hostages, the victims, the security forces battling it out for us and the brave men and women in the media who are at the ground zero. Like the rest of the world, I pray for this crisis to be over quickly with minimal possible damage........

We need a unified code of conduct for investigating agencies...

2008-11-20T20:40:00.000-08:00

Over the years we have witnessed the growth of Indian Television News Channels. We are now living in an era of ‘Breaking News’,(wonder what happened to the good old FLASH NEWS), ‘Exclusives’ and ‘Sting operations’. This means most of us have become media savvy. Gone are the days when someone had to do something as bizarre as eating a snake alive to hog the limelight for a while. This situation has benefitted common man in procuring any information that he needs more easily and readily. But, there are many negative sides to this picture.

We had sting operations planned to discredit and harass hapless individuals. More recently, our investigating agencies have also become pro-active in planting and manoeuvring sensitive information about different investigations. Different investigating agencies are now readily giving out information about the arrests and the accused even while they are in the process of collecting evidences to substantiate their claims. This is a dangerous practise because:

· The concept of ‘innocent until proved guilty’ is undermined.

· The family of the accused are harassed and humiliated.

· The investigators often end up looking ridiculous as happened repeatedly in the Arushi Murder Case.

· Allows political parties, human rights groups and others build up rhetoric based on the claims which are not proven facts.

· Prejudices the public opinion for or against the accused persons.

· In case the claims made by the investigators are later proved to be false, the persons who were earlier accused would still have had to bear the defamation and harassment.

· Causes conflicts and battles among various groups on the basis of unproven claims.

I think the situation calls for implementing a General Code of Conduct for the investigating agencies across the country. The police should not be allowed to manoeuvre the public opinion.

It is worth mentioning that in spite of tremendous pressure from the curious general public, the Kerala CBI team which is investigating the Sister Abhaya murder case has refused to divulge any details regarding the evidence and the motive of the arrested accused. This conduct is highly commendable, one that could be emulated by other teams across the country.

Indian Navy – the pride of the nation

2008-11-20T20:39:00.001-08:00

The Indian Navy has sunk a Somalian pirate ship. The Somalian pirates have been striking almost daily and many countries have their naval presence in the area. Indian Navy had rescued a ship last week and in sinking the pirate ship the Navy has proved that it is capable of being pro-active in the face of challenges.

Abhaya case - some action at last....

2008-11-20T20:37:00.000-08:00

It comes as great relief to the general public in Kerala that three people have been arrested in connection with the Abhaya Case which has been under investigation for more than sixteen years. The scenes at the court when the accused were brought in yesterday were acrimonious. The police had to resort to mild lathi charge twice to keep the crowd under control. The crowd was shouting slogans congratulating the CBI and denouncing the local police and the Kerala crime branch.

The real hero is the High Court of Kerala. It is the persistent and vigilant attitude of this court that paved way for the arrests. Keeping in mind the fact that even the CBI had applied for the case to be closed for lack of proper evidence, the court has yet again proved to be the saviour for justice.

For millions it is not just an index, Mr. Finance Minister...

2008-11-18T20:25:00.000-08:00

As the world reels under the financial crisis, the Indian government kept re-iterating that there is nothing to worry. The Prime Minister and the Finance Minister repeatedly said that the inherent strength of Indian economy will help the country sail over the tsunami and keep ourselves afloat. The debacle in the US, Europe and other countries around the world should have served as a loud warning for the prudent. But, in India, the measures were limited largely to rate cuts and pure rhetoric.

Meanwhile, the prices of essential commodities sky rocketed, the stock markets crashed and industries struggled to keep their factories running. Unlike China, which came out with a substantial investment package to boost the economy, India maintained what many describe as a largely passive stance to the entire issue. But, even with the inflation figures showing some signs of coming down, the stock markets kept plunging to new depths.

Guess what, the finance minister has told that people must stop looking at the stock markets closely as these were nothing more than indices. This is easily the most irresponsible and utterly damaging comment that a finance minister could make at such a volatile time. He may have been trying to calm down the atmosphere by playing down the significance of the stock markets. But in the process, he has completely forgotten that millions in this country have lost their life’s savings in the stock market over the recent months. Billions of dollars worth wealth have been wiped off and the Finance Minister has the audacity to refer to the debacle as if he is talking about a mathematical graph.

Well, with the general elections coming nearer, I guess the current UPA regime could afford to pass over the onus to the next government. But, in the process, we the people are bound to suffer, providing more data for the wise heads like this finance minister to study and lecture about....

The sad story of Kerala intellectuals and writers

2008-11-16T20:27:00.000-08:00

Kerala is among the most literate regions in the whole world. More than anything else, the high literacy means the mallu society keeps itself highly informed about the happenings all over the world. Consequently, we have a society where most of the individuals do have an opinion on almost all subjects under the sun.

Naturally, the teachers, writers and the intellectuals in this society have always been held in high respect and their opinions have always been well sought after. Sadly, over the last decade, a large majority of mallu writers and intellectuals seems to have come under tremendous pressure from the need to survive, and the much larger necessity to keep on the right side of the powers that be. So much so, that the only loud noises that we occasionally hear from one half of these self-proclaimed protectors of public conscience are mostly about the petty, ego-centric and self induced fights among themselves. The other half is busy in aligning in accordance with the factional feuds of the ruling Marxist party. There are some rare but sane and earnest voices among them, but these are often buried in the frenzy and noise of the battle cry....

Contrast this with times when these voices were strong and influential enough to deny the state many necessary projects like the atomic power plant and silent valley project. It is another matter, whether I am in favour of the opposition to such projects. The point that I am trying to make is that there has been a paradigm shift in the intellectual creamy layer of this highly opinionated society.

The common man is reeling under all sorts of problems, the root cause of which could be traced to the in-efficient and corrupt regimes that have ruled this state in the last two decades. The writers, intellectuals and the creative minds once had the courage and the will power to awaken the mallu society and pave way for the world’s first democratically elected communist regime. Now, all that is left is a bunch of selfish minds feuding among themselves...

What a shame indeed....

Yoga - for health and peace....

2008-11-11T19:54:00.000-08:00

I have been attending yoga classes for the last one month at Kozhikode itself. Those who know me personally know that I am fat, over weight. But, to my friend’s dismay, I have never been worried about the same. I have always been reasonably healthy and have been content with it. My friends always used to complain about the long distances that I would walk while we are out for shopping or sightseeing. I guess this is what helped me stay healthy.

But, ever since I moved to Kozhikode, I have been confined to my Pulsar all the time. This meant I don’t walk as much as I used to, and I put on a lot of weight. While I was worried about the same, I have never been enthusiastic about going to a conventional gym. Finally, I chose to try out Yoga hoping that this might also complement my spiritual and intellectual side.

After one month of Yoga classes, I find it highly beneficial for staying healthy. Just as Ayurveda concentrates on eliminating the root cause of a disease unlike the Allopathic medicines which focuses on the symptoms, yoga aims at helping a person to stay healthy. It also helps in building concentration and the meditation helps to make the mid peaceful.

Bring the petroleum prices down...

2008-11-10T19:40:00.000-08:00

The Prime Minister, the Finance Minister and the Petroleum Minister are all united in saying that the petroleum prices cannot be brought down until the oil companies stop making losses.

This is preposterous and utterly irresponsible. I know the Indian rupee is in a very volatile position against the US dollar. But as an Indian, I would like my Ministers (yea,in case you forgot, they are supposed to serve me and over hundred crore ordinary Indians like myself) to be compassionate and to be in touch with the ground realities of life in this nation.

Reducing petroleum prices would have an immediate impact on the food and vegetable prices. It would help common man heave a sigh of relief.

Economic management is not only about providing leverage to aviation industry, allowing industrialists to amass windfall profits and then vulgarly display the same by building homes worth thousands of crores, offering escape routes to foreign companies by allowing them to increase their presence in sectors like insurance.

At the end of the day, prudent economic management is all about helping the poor to have proper meals at least once in a day. Making sure the common man has the opportunity and the means to pay back the loans, make both ends meet.

The average Indian should be able to celebrate life, not by virtue of having obscenely expensive villas, but by having a hearty smile, peaceful sleep and a secure future for his family.

The Night Mare – A Dream Team production

2008-11-10T19:38:00.000-08:00

Ironic, but an apt title for the plight of ordinary Indian. The dream team of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister Chidambaram has failed miserably in providing solace to the common man. The prices of eatables and vegetables are sky rocketing along with many other essential articles.

The government and the RBI have been harping about the measures taken to combat inflation for quite some time now. Surely, some measures have been taken. But the question is who is benefiting?

The only direct impact that a layman like myself see is the interest rates coming down. This is expected to benefit the automobile, infrastructure, housing and industrial sector. The logic is that the spur in growth in these sectors will rejuvenate the economy and lead to wealth creation. This would ultimately benefit the common man.

This sounds good. Still, it seems to be a process which would take at least six months to start showing significant and consistent results. Simply, this is not enough. We Indians surely deserve better.

Interest rate coming down is fine.But unfortunately, the banks do not give loans for buying rice, dal and vegetables.

Dada...The true Maharaja...

2008-11-10T02:40:00.000-08:00

As India celebrates the famous win over the mighty Aussies and cherishes the Border - Gavaskar trophy, the Prince of Kolkata bows out of international cricket. His last series has been wonderful for him and he leaves behind a grand legacy.

As tributes pour in, Dada can be proud of what he did for the nation. It is commendable that this gutsy man successfully faced stiff opposition from many people who were not half good as himself throughout his career.

To start with, Saurav was depicted as a rich, arrogant, spoilt young man. Many yester year stars could not come to terms with the presence of such a privileged person in the Indian dressing room. They doubted his dedication and lost no time in attacking the newcomer. But Dada started off with a century in his debut test match, that too in foreign soil. For wise men, this would surely be ominous signs of what Dada would bring to Indian cricket.

Then the pundits were criticizing his perceived inability to face quality fast bowlers, especially the bouncers (incredibly some continues to do so even now). It is true that Dada had some problems in this front, but he more than compensated for it with his extravagant off-side hits, his wonderful natural timing. And when Dada chose to come down the track to any bowler, spin or pace, it was a treat for the cricket lover. The balls started disappearing in to the stands quite often and Dada made his presence felt.

Then came the dark era of Indian cricket. The match fixing scandals plunged Indian cricket to the depths of despair. This coupled with some uninspired captaincy from several stand in captains drove cricket fans away from the stadiums. Many, including your faithful blogger, started to keep away from the living room to escape the live telecast in the television.

When Dada was made the captain of the beleaguered Indian team, he inherited a dressing room full of egos, players with low self confidence and some with much less self esteem. A bunch of losers who were referred to as ‘ a group of highly talented players, who had many records among them, but who invariably failed to perform as a team. The performance of the Indian team out side of the sub-continent was totally amateurish.

Dada turned things around and look where the Indian team is now. He built a team of confident men. He backed his young inexperienced but talented players like Bhajie, Yuvi, Lakshman and Zaheer. He helped the senior players like Sachin, Dravid and Kumble settle down into their own tailor-made roles as mentors and role models. For me, this is his single most important contribution. Dada even relinquished his opening slot in one day team for Sehwag.

The opening partnerships between Dada and the Master Blaster is legendary and to make way for a junior player was a wonderful gesture, one that many of his critics would not have even thought about.

The single most vivid picture in memory? Dada taking off his shirt and waving it to celebrate a famous victory abroad. For pundits, this was a shocking display of arrogance....

For common cricket fans like me, this he the mascot of young, vibrant, confident Indian team...We knew this team was bound to conquer the world...We knew Dada had done what it takes to lay the foundations for the future captains to build on....

The Australians believed they were the only ones who have the right to sledge, be aggressive and play mind games. Dada paid them back in style, fluttering many, including the Indian pundits. Time and again, Dada was humiliated, thrown out of the captaincy and the team. Each time Dada came back stronger than ever. Even in his last series, he made the previous team of selectors look like a bunch of foolish amateurs.

Dada had such illustrious men as Dravid, Lakshman and Sehwag as compatriots. The fact that these four men carved out a niche for themselves while playing alongside the all time great Sachin Tendulkar speaks a lot about their talent and calibre. These fabulous group of players have given us lot to be proud of.

Dada sure has some more cricket left in him. But, I believe it is the right time to bid adieu. Especially since it would not take more than two bad innings for him to be thrown out of the team again.

After all, from being a Prince, he has long ago graduated to being the Maharaja of Indian cricket and desrves a Royal farewell...

The decline of Aussies....

2008-11-10T01:40:00.000-08:00

From the lacklustre performance of the visiting Australian cricket team, it is evident that this is the weakest Aussie team in over a decade.

The fourth day of the final test at Nagpur will be remembered for the defensive mindset of the Aussie captain Ricky Ponting. At a time when he should have gone for the kill, he refused to make use of his strike pace bowlers. He was more concerned about the making up for slow over rate and hence turned to his spin bowlers. This is not what we have come to expect from an Aussie captain. What could have been the worst case if he had made use of the pace bowlers? He could have been fined and may be suspended for one match. On the other side, the Indians were in real trouble with the loss of quick wickets and if Brett Lee could have picked up either Dhoni or Bhajie, the Indian innings would have ended quickly. Instead, the spin bowlers allowed India to claw back to the game and at the end of the match, this cost Australia the Border – Gavaskar trophy.

In spite of the brilliant eight wicket haul for Krezja in the first innings, one has to admit that the Australian spin bowling is not even good without the mighty Shane Warne. For that matter, neither is their pace bowling, without Glenn McGrath. Their batting lacks the stability without Justin Langer. The retirement of Adam Gilchrist means they are no longer dominant over the opposing bowlers.

Ricky Ponting have reasons to be defensive, but without the trademark killer instinct, all that remains is plain arrogance and typical intolerance in the face of better opponents.

Sadly for Aussies, these are simply not enough to conquer the resurgent Indians....

The campaigning goes digital

2008-11-08T21:46:00.000-08:00

L.K.Advani has come up with a portal devised as a means to rach out to the Indian youth. The idea is commendable, one suceesfully used by Obama recently, and could make an impact in India too.....

http://www.lkadvani.in/

An Indian dream....

2008-11-05T00:40:00.000-08:00

As America gets a young president, I too wish the youth here in India had a more prominent and powerful presence in the political arena of this nation. By Indian standards, Obama is a kindergarten child as far as his political experience and age goes.

So far, the only youth to get a shot at the Prime Minister ship in India is Rajeev Gandhi. Ironically, politics was the last place that he wanted to be. But fate, and the fact that he was the only suitable heir from Nehru dynasty at that time, catapulted him to the Prime Minister ship of the world’s largest democracy. It is really sad that even in 2008, the only youth who could even hope to run for the post is the present heir of the dynasty, Rahul Gandhi.

Is it that the country of over 100 crore does not have able and deserving youth to lead the nation, other than the handpicked ones from the Nehru dynasty?

Its OBAMA all the way.........

2008-11-05T00:36:00.000-08:00

As the US Presidential election results come out Barack Obama , the 47 year old African- American who has been a senator for only two years, becomes President Obama. The election has been closely watched and followed here in India as well. The coming years could be very, very crucial for India and the world at large. The new American President, as always, has a significant role to play in the emerging new world order. I do wish Obama will rise to the challenge...